Jack in the Pulpit

An herbaceous woodland perennial, Jack in the Pulpit is one of the most recognizable flowers in the forest. The leaves are trifoliate, with groups of three leaves growing together at the top of a long stem.

The greenish-yellow and purple striped spathe wraps around the club-shaped spadix, with both male and female flowers. Fruits ripen in late summer and fall, turning a bright red color before the plants go dormant. 

Jack in the Pulpit was used medicinally by the Native Americans, but can be poisonous if eaten.