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Cobra Lilies Arisaema

Other Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
air-uh-SEE-muh
Description

This large and diverse genus is in the arum family (Araceae) and most are native to Asia but there are some native to Africa, Mexico and Eastern North America. They grow from tubers from which either arises a pseudostem from which the flower and leaves emerge or a stem from which the leaves grow. All the inflorescence has a spathe that surrounds the spadix. Those native to the USA are generally called Jack-in-the-pulpits and those from Asia are called cobra lilies.

 

Additional Arisaema images at Juniper Lever Botanical Gardens

             Arisaema (Jack In The Pulpit, Cobra Lily)

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • A. album
    Himalayan native that will grow well in warmer areas of NC
  • A. amurense
    Fast growing Asian variety good for woodland areas
  • A. candidissimum
    Easy to grow, showy 2 feet tall
  • A. consanguineum
    Most popular of the Asian varieties. Showy green and purple spathe
  • A. dahaiense
    Native to China. Able to grow in our climate
    • A. dracontium Arisaema draconitum
    Green Dragon Jack-in-the-Pulpit native to Eastern USA
  • A. fargesii
    China native, easy to grow, showy
  • A. flavum
    Native to China and Africa. 2ft tall
    • A. heterophyllum Arisaema heterophyllum
    Asia variey 1 ft tall
  • A. heterophyllum
    Asian species, prefers moist to wet soils
  • A. kiushianum
    Easy to grow with showy flowers
  • A. macrospathum
    Native to Mexico
  • A. mayebarae
    From Japan, easy to grow, showy dark purple black spathe, which opens before the foliage
  • A. quinatum
    Five-leaf Jack-in-the-Pulpit native to Eastern USA
    • A. ringens Arisaema ringens
    Asian variety 1 ft tall emerges early spring
  • A. saxatile
    Native to China. Easy to grow in NC. 15 inches tll
  • A. serratum
    Asian variety, 12 inches tall, easy to grow
  • A. speciosum
    Large 3-lobed leaves and reddish stems
  • A. taiwanense
    From Taiwan, unusual 30 inch tall showy plant
  • A. thunbergii
    Asian species and good garden plant
  • A. tortuosum
    Large 4-6 ft tall with fleshy leaves and green spathe with a long tongue
    • A. triphyllum Flower - May 10 - Wake Co., NC
    Three-leaf Jack-in-the-Pulpit. Native to much of the US
  • A. yunnanense
    China native that is easy to grow in NC. 18 inches tall
A. album, A. amurense, A. candidissimum, A. consanguineum, A. dahaiense, A. dracontium, A. fargesii, A. flavum, A. heterophyllum, A. heterophyllum, A. kiushianum, A. macrospathum, A. mayebarae, A. quinatum, A. ringens, A. saxatile, A. serratum, A. speciosum, A. taiwanense, A. thunbergii, A. tortuosum, A. triphyllum, A. yunnanense
Tags:
 
Form in November in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Form - November - Hadano Co., Japan Shin CC BY-NC 4.0
Fruit in November in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Fruit - November - Hadano Co., Japan Shin CC BY-NC 4.0
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • A. album
    Himalayan native that will grow well in warmer areas of NC
  • A. amurense
    Fast growing Asian variety good for woodland areas
  • A. candidissimum
    Easy to grow, showy 2 feet tall
  • A. consanguineum
    Most popular of the Asian varieties. Showy green and purple spathe
  • A. dahaiense
    Native to China. Able to grow in our climate
    • A. dracontium Arisaema draconitum
    Green Dragon Jack-in-the-Pulpit native to Eastern USA
  • A. fargesii
    China native, easy to grow, showy
  • A. flavum
    Native to China and Africa. 2ft tall
    • A. heterophyllum Arisaema heterophyllum
    Asia variey 1 ft tall
  • A. heterophyllum
    Asian species, prefers moist to wet soils
  • A. kiushianum
    Easy to grow with showy flowers
  • A. macrospathum
    Native to Mexico
  • A. mayebarae
    From Japan, easy to grow, showy dark purple black spathe, which opens before the foliage
  • A. quinatum
    Five-leaf Jack-in-the-Pulpit native to Eastern USA
    • A. ringens Arisaema ringens
    Asian variety 1 ft tall emerges early spring
  • A. saxatile
    Native to China. Easy to grow in NC. 15 inches tll
  • A. serratum
    Asian variety, 12 inches tall, easy to grow
  • A. speciosum
    Large 3-lobed leaves and reddish stems
  • A. taiwanense
    From Taiwan, unusual 30 inch tall showy plant
  • A. thunbergii
    Asian species and good garden plant
  • A. tortuosum
    Large 4-6 ft tall with fleshy leaves and green spathe with a long tongue
    • A. triphyllum Flower - May 10 - Wake Co., NC
    Three-leaf Jack-in-the-Pulpit. Native to much of the US
  • A. yunnanense
    China native that is easy to grow in NC. 18 inches tall
A. album, A. amurense, A. candidissimum, A. consanguineum, A. dahaiense, A. dracontium, A. fargesii, A. flavum, A. heterophyllum, A. heterophyllum, A. kiushianum, A. macrospathum, A. mayebarae, A. quinatum, A. ringens, A. saxatile, A. serratum, A. speciosum, A. taiwanense, A. thunbergii, A. tortuosum, A. triphyllum, A. yunnanense
Tags:
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Arisaema
    Family:
    Araceae
    Life Cycle:
    Bulb
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Bulb
  • Leaves:
    Hairs Present:
    No
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No