Green dragon, Dragon root
Arisaema dracontium
Family: Araceae
What it is like
A tuber plant which keeps growing from year to year. The leaf stalk is mottled. It is 80 cm high. There is a single leaf with leaflets which radiate. There are 7-15 oblong leaflets. These are 10-20 cm long. The flower appears below the leaves. The bract around the flower is narrow and hooded. It is green and 5-7 cm long. The flower spike is fleshy and 15 cm long. It is white at the base and forms threads and is green at the tip.
There are about 150-170 Arisaema species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It is native to the USA. It suits low lying woods on moist soils. Even though it goes dormant the soil should not be allowed to dry out. It suits hardiness zones 4-9.
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia, Canada, North America, USA, Tasmania
How it is used for food
The roots are dried and then cooked. Caution: They contain calcium oxalate crystals so need this processing.
Edible parts
Root, corm