Green dragon is an herbaceous perennial plant in the arum family (Araceae). It is native to eastern and central Canada and the USA, from Quebec to TX and grows in damp woods. In NC, it is mostly found in the Piedmont but is scattered in the coastal plain and mountains. The species epithet is Latin for “little dragon.” The long exserted spadix bears a fanciful resemblance to a dragon's tail. Green dragon grows in fertile, moist, neutral to acidic woodland soils in partial to full shade. It does not tolerate heavy clay. It will grow 1 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 1.5 feet wide. Propagation is by division or seeds. The plant grows from a corm and sends up a single large compound leaf in spring. The flower that follows is a Jack-in-the-pulpit type bloom, as they are related. This is followed by a cluster of red fruits that the birds enjoy. The plant dies down in late summer. Beware of the similar-looking Pinellia pedatisecta , of China, which is very weedy and aggressive. In Pinellia pedatisecta , the central leaflet of the compound leaf is much larger than the adjacent leaflets. In green dragon, the leaflets are similar in size. Also, the inflorescence of P. pedatisecta rises above the leaves. In green dragon, the inflorescence is mostly below the leaves. Use green dragon in a shady garden, naturalized area, native garden or along streams or ponds. Plant with other shade lovers, such as ferns and hostas, that will fill in the area once the green dragon goes dormant. Please do not disturb plants in the wild, as they are somewhat uncommon. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. More information on Arisaema .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Papery
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
It generally produces 1 large compound leaf with a long stem and 7 to 13 leaflets that are held out horizontally over the plant. Each leaflet is up to 8 inches long and 2 to 2.5 inches across. The petiole is up to 2 feet tall.
Flower color
Green; White
Flower form
Spadix
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
This plant has slender, tapered, greenish-white spadix exceeding the length of the narrow, pointed spathe. It is 4 in. long. Blooms in May. The tiny male and female flowers are near the bottom of the spadix inside the spathe.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Green; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit detail
Club-shaped cluster of many berries in late summer. Start out green and mature to dark red.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
2 foot tall green smooth and glaucous petiole
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
E. Canada, eastern and central USA, to NE. Mexico
Distribution
AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WV Canada: ON , QC
Attracts
Pollinators; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Roots
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Berry
Edibility
The root is considered edible once it has been dried, aged and processed. Has been used in herbal medicine.