Email sent! We need to do an aroid trade, you have some mighty nice ones listed... I think I can tempt u with my aroids ^^

I am playing with Jack in the Pulpit seeds this Spring. My first batch (about 60) germinated fine in wet paper towels, about 75%. Then tragedy, overwatered in seed starter mix, I managed to drown them all. So sad. Second batch are in process, 69 seeds, 40 germinated so far. Planted only half buried with the root pointing down on top of Jiffy pellets. Taking GREAT care not to drown them. 20 of them have one leaf and the other 20 look good, except 4 which are definitely sick. I was waiting for the one leaves to turn into three, but now I read that one is all you get in the first year. I have another 40 seeds on order, just in case, however, now by the time they arrive I hope to be a pro. In my woods are plenty of lovely Jack in the Pulpit plants in bloom. All have three leaflet leaves. Many with the pulpit holding the jack. Just lovely, so delicate. Nowhere in my woods, and I have looked a lot, do I see the single leaf plants. The wild plants seem to spread by underground connectors, so they are grouped in clusters, all with triple leaflets. Last year I saw one bright red berry/seed cob. That is what got me going. However it disappeared one night. I think it was eaten. Hugh Tornabene (Maryland)

Jacks will take a bit of tromping, and will probably come back. And if they are at all established, or otherwise fairly happy, they can "disappear" for a year, and then return later. But they are also very amenable to being moved. That's the safer course, if you can. To Adam, This is not at all a strange place to find Jacks in MA. Cool side of a protected area. Just it's cup of tea [grin]. You say you have clay soil..... Clay loam? or serious clay? Is it sort of difficult to dig, and turns in largish clumps? Or is it pretty much impossible to dig, and dries out by about midsummer to cracks and furrows? If clay loam sounds more likely...... The Jack will be happy. Leave it if you can. But if you *need* to move it.... It's not a terrible time to do so, if you are willing to water a few times over the next few weeks. But under a maple?? Probably a bad choice. Depends a little on the kind of maple, but most will dry out the surrounding soil, even beyond the tree's dripline. Jacks will be happier in partial shade/partial sun than they will be in more shade under a maple. Take some more advice from people in your area before moving this Jack, if you want to keep and encourage it.

I don't know about Trilliums, but jacks CAN skip a year, though it is usual. The corms would still be firm though. You received these in May? I wonder if rather than sending you dormant plants ready to sprout in 2016 that the vendor took 2016 plants, removed the foliage and shipped. If that is the case they will not sprout until 2017 anyway. I love our native jack and have it here and there in my suburban garden, where it slowly spreads and sometimes appears in surprising places as seed gets spread around. Conditions here are "average". It certainly seems adaptable and can take some drying in midsummer where it generally dies down anyway. I have a couple Trilliums but they have not done as well for me.......persisted and bloomed for many years but not really increased in size much.