Arisaema heterophyllum seed
LATIN NAME: Arisaema heterophyllum
COMMON NAME: Different-leaf Arisaema, Green Dragon
Green dragon is a woodland plant with a strange and beautiful flower that always draws a second look. It grows from a small corm, sending up a single slender stem with one or two broad, hand-like leaves, each divided into many leaflets radiating from the centre. In late spring the plant produces its remarkable flower: a tall, narrow hood, or spathe, usually green with darker stripes, wrapped around a long, finger-like spadix that extends well beyond the hood. The whole thing looks more like an exotic tropical plant than a hardy woodland perennial, and it adds a touch of the extraordinary to any shady border.
Green dragon belongs to the arum family, Araceae, and it is native to the woodlands of East Asia, from China and Korea to Japan. It is a hardy, easy-going plant that thrives in moist, shady places, and it is one of the most popular of the arisaemas among gardeners who appreciate unusual flowers.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing green dragon from seed is a delightful project for the patient gardener. The seeds ripen in bright red berries that cluster on the flower stalk in autumn, and they need a period of cold, moist conditions to germinate. Clean the seeds from the berries, sow them in pots of moist, free-draining compost, and leave the pots outdoors through winter, or chill them in the fridge for a few months first. In spring, bring the pots to a shady, bright spot and keep them moist. Germination is often slow and uneven, and young plants take several years to reach flowering size, so patience is part of the deal. But the first time that strange, striped hood appears on a plant you have raised from seed, you will feel it was worth every month of waiting.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
Green dragon is a subject of genuine scientific interest. The dried corms, known as tian nan xing in traditional Chinese medicine, have been used for centuries to ease coughs and calm convulsions, and researchers have studied the plant’s chemistry, including its bioactive compounds and their effects, after proper processing to reduce its natural irritant properties. The arisaemas are also fascinating to botanists for their unusual flowers, which attract and trap small insects for pollination, and species like this one are used in studies of plant reproduction and pollination biology. In horticulture, green dragon is grown for its striking form, and it has a devoted following among collectors of unusual hardy plants. For a plant that looks exotic, it has a solid and varied record of study.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, green dragon is a valuable woodland plant. Its flowers attract small flies and other insects, and its bright red berries feed birds and small mammals in autumn, helping to spread its seeds through the forest. It thrives in damp, shaded places where many plants will not grow.
Its economic value rests on medicine and horticulture. The corms have been used in traditional East Asian medicine for centuries and remain an important herbal commodity, and the plant is grown by gardeners and nurseries as a striking and unusual ornamental for shade gardens. For a grower, green dragon is a distinctive plant with a steady niche market, and for a gardener it brings an exotic, almost tropical touch to a shady corner of the garden.