Home » Plants & Animals » Shade Gardening » Clearing Woods - Ferns and Other Forbs - Part 2 - Page 3

Clearing Woods - Ferns and Other Forbs - Part 2 - Page 3

© Marge Talt

A. triphyllum is hardy from USDA zones 4 to 9 and, when happy and mature, can reach over two feet (0.6m) in height. If you have them in your woodland and want to dig some for the garden, be sure to dig deep as the tubers work their way down in decent soil. In very wet soil, they've been found with tubers almost at the surface of the soil. If you don't get the tuber, what you dig will simply die. I love these plants and scatter their seeds if I don't have time to plant them and grow them on.

There is one deadly disease that has attacked arisaemas on the East coast. It is arisaema rust and there is no cure for it. It's easily seen as the affected parts become spotted with bright orange dots. If you think you've seen this or are concerned about it, read what's been said in the Arisaema-L archives. I've found it a couple of times and removed all affected parts to the trash and had the plants return clean, although smaller, the following year. That doesn't mean it won't return, but it does seem that it can be quelled. Don't let that stop you from growing jacks; once you get to know them, you won't want to be without them.

This is the last of the series about the plants found in my woodlands. Spring is just around the corner for many of us and plant lust is stirring. Next time, the first of the 2001 mailorder nurseries online. See ya' later!

More Information

• The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension Service page. Growing Ferns also provides an overview of the fern life-cycle plus lists of native ferns and those often grown as house plants. There's information about potting and dividing plus good black and white photos of many species.

• Check out my 1997 article, Jacks And Relatives - Arisaema for more about jacks.

• If you find yourself getting fascinated by the incredible arisaemas, join the Arisaema Enthusiast Group, an informal bunch of arisaema lovers. Membership automatically brings you the email list - Arisaema-L, where you can post your questions and learn. It also makes you eligible for the annual seed exchange, which is one of the best ways to get your hands on some of the marvelous rare and otherwise unobtainable species. Joining the group is free for a list of arisaemas you grow - and you can join if you don't grow any. Email Ray Stilwell for more information. If you need some information fast or want to have a taste of posts on Arisaema-L, check out the archives..

The copyright of the article Clearing Woods - Ferns and Other Forbs - Part 2 - Page 3 in Shade Gardening is owned by . Permission to republish Clearing Woods - Ferns and Other Forbs - Part 2 - Page 3 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.