The skies are ever changing at Blue Spruce Park. Every morning we are greeted by a different view as the sun rises over the ridge and makes its way into the valley below.
The Green Dragon is similar to Jack-in-the Pulpit, except green dragon usually has only one large, compound leaf that is divided into 7-15 lance-shaped leaflets and has a greenish spadix which is narrower and tapers up and beyond the less prominent, greenish hood (lacks the distinctive purple striping of Jack) of the spathe. Also like Jack-in-the-Pulpit, this plant goes dormant in the summer, with the mature plants producing red seeds which become visible in mid to late summer as the spadix withers. This photo was taken before the seeds turned red. The Green Dragon is found in only a few places in our park system and is a species of concern in PA due to its limited numbers and special habitat requirements.
