Jack-in-the-pulpit

This perennial species flowers very early in spring, from April to May. Its reproductive strategy is unusual: it follows a sexual sequence. When the plant is young and still small, it produces only male flowers.

As it grows, jack-in-the-pulpit builds up energy reserves in its rhizome, which then allows it to produce only female flowers. It can take several years before the first flowering.

The plant reproduces by seed. In late summer and early fall, the ripe fruits turn bright red and attract birds and small mammals, which feed on the berries and disperse the seeds.

Jack-in-the-pulpit can also reproduce vegetatively through division of the rhizome (or corm). This explains why young plants are often found growing close to mature ones. However, this form of reproduction is slow.