Plant Profile: Arisaema dracontium

The 'Green Dragon' is a perennial herb native to the Arum family, primarily found in the eastern and central regions of Canada and the United States, stretching from Quebec to Texas. It typically thrives in moist woodland areas. In North Carolina, it is predominantly located in the Piedmont region, though it can also be found in the coastal plain and mountainous areas.

This plant emerges from a corm, producing a single large, compound leaf in the spring. Following this, it blooms with a flower resembling the Jack-in-the-pulpit, due to their close botanical relationship. After flowering, the plant produces clusters of red berries that are favored by birds. By late summer, the plant withers away.

The 'Green Dragon' flourishes in rich, moist, and slightly acidic soils found in woodlands, preferring conditions of partial to full shade. It is well-suited for growth along streams or ponds, in wooded environments, beneath trees and shrubs, or within native shade gardens.