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Clearing Woods - Ferns and Other Forbs - Part 2 - Page 2

© Marge Talt

Impatiens pallida is a cousin, native to the US and more desirable in the garden. It has the same flower shape, only yellow instead of orange.

Both belong to the family Balsaminaceae, along with the highly bred impatiens we buy for our summer bedding and baskets. These, too, are annuals, preferring moist soil in part sun to light shade. I. biflora will grow in deep shade or even dry soil, but it won't get as large nor flower much when conditions are adverse. It has become naturalized from Canada south to South Carolina and west to Oklahoma.

If you want to add this to your garden, seed is obtainable from various sources and should be surface sown at 39ºF (3.8ºC) and moved to room temperature after 90 days. They should then germinate in one to three weeks.

Jack-in-the-pulpits

Next to the native ferns in my woodland, the jacks are the most numerous and desirable of forbs. Arisaema triphyllum spread via seed (and more rarely offsets from the mother tuber) to form colonies over time in moist or dry shady spots. They will grow in a fair amount of sun, too, especially if the soil does not dry out. I like this photo as it seems to show a group who aren't on speaking terms, since they're all facing in different directions.

There are several forms, varieties and sub species of A. triphyllum, according to Roy Herold's Arisaemas page. If I've followed the key properly, it appears that I have two forms. This should be A. triphyllum, with its purple marked spath blade.

This pure green form, with a more bent spath blade should be
A. triphyllum ssp. triphyllum.

You can see the three leaflets on the leaf stem, which is why this arisaema is called "triphyllum', although there are varieties with five-leaflets in each leaf.

A. triphyllum is one of the two native American arisaemas, the other being A.dracontium.

There's also a red stemmed form, which I wish I were lucky enough to have. It might be lurking out there somewhere - at least I can hope.

Although one of the common names for this plant is Indian turnip, it's only edible after boiling and thorough drying and while it's listed in many herbals as medicinal, the fresh or partially dried root is dangerous because it contains calcium oxalate crystals. It's considered a poisonous plant for this reason. So, grow and enjoy it, but don't eat it.

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