Photo: Eric Hunt, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Green Dragon

Arisaema dracontium

Also known as Dragonroot, Green Dragon Arum, Dragon Arum

At a glance

Family

Araceae (Arum family)

Type

Herbaceous woodland perennial, growing from an underground corm

Parts used

Corm (root), historically, only after extensive processing; not for casual use

Size

1 to 3 feet tall, with a single divided leaf arching over the flower stalk

Bloom

Late spring to early summer, a slender greenish-white spadix tongue that pokes well past its narrow spathe

Habitat

Rich, moist bottomland woods, floodplains, and shaded stream banks across eastern and central North America

Acquisition

Grow or buy

This plant in HerbSense

Key benefits

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Striking native woodland silhouette

Historic Native American plant lore

Supports shade garden biodiversity

Curious dragon-tongue spadix bloom

Traditional uses

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Green Dragon is the shier, more elusive cousin of Jack-in-the-pulpit, tucked into the same rich bottomland woods but easy to miss until that odd, protruding spadix catches your eye. Some Native American nations dried and carefully processed the corm for use in respiratory complaints and as a counterirritant for rheumatism, but this was specialist knowledge, passed down and practiced with real caution. The raw plant was never eaten casually. Today Green Dragon is valued far more as a woodland garden treasure and a marker of healthy, undisturbed forest than as anything to prepare at home.

How to grow & use it

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The full apothecary for Green Dragon

Traditional remedies and step-by-step preparations, a complete growing guide, and how to harvest, dry, and store it, all unlocked with HerbLens Unlimited.

✦Remedies & preparations
✦ Growing guide
✦Harvest & storage

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Pairs well with

✦Jack-in-the-pulpit
✦Mayapple
✦Trillium

Choose it when

“For the quiet thrill of finding a dragon's tongue curled in the deep green hush of the forest floor.”

Did you know?

Unlike its relative Jack-in-the-pulpit, Green Dragon's spadix does not hide demurely inside its hooded spathe. Instead it juts far out beyond the opening like a slender tongue, which is exactly how the plant earned its dragon name.

Safety

Green Dragon contains needle-like calcium oxalate crystals throughout the plant, concentrated heavily in the fresh corm. Chewing or swallowing any raw part causes intense, immediate burning and swelling of the lips, tongue, mouth, and throat, and in more severe cases this swelling can interfere with breathing or swallowing. It is not a plant for home food or remedy use, even dried, and should be kept well away from children and pets who might be tempted by its unusual look. If any part of this plant is ingested, contact Poison Control or seek emergency medical care right away, and speak with a qualified healthcare professional or botanist before ever handling it beyond garden admiration.