It is recommended to clean off the red pulp, exposing the white seeds inside. In nature, either an animal/bird would eat the seeds and would digest the covering or the seed would fall to the group and it would eventually dissolve (which takes longer to germinate because of an inhibitor property).

You can clean this off with your fingers, soaking them first might make it easier. Be sure to wash your hands carefully afterwards and do not touch your skin/eyes until you've cleaned your hands.

Sow the seeds immediately in a moist area or seed tray.

AHA, I never took the red off, must be why I could never get them to sprout. Thanks so much for the help, this year I will clean the seeds and then spread them around and see what happens. Hope it works, kind of got a fondness for JIP, it was one of the first wildflowers I learned as a child and although I have gardens of all kinds, it's still the native wildflowers that are dearest in my heart. The little patch I have is spreading, but I sure would love to have more in my shade/woodland garden.

{{gwi:634834}}

esh gave you good info. Here are a couple of links that have great propagation info:

This one from the Ontario Rock Society has non-natives too but is easy to use:
http://webhome.idirect.com/~jehan/Information/orgsseedx.htm

This one is very scientific; wonderful site started by the University of Idaho (has native plants from all of NA):
http://www.nativeplantnetwork.org/network/

The site also has the Native Plants Journal online (searchable). I was just browsing it and stumbled across this!

Here is a link that might be useful: Propagation protocol for Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) - Summer 2005

This is just my opinion so take it for what it's worth to you but I find my jacks (of which we have hundreds) do better to spread in a more natural fashion. As the previous poster suggested, the pulp needs to be removed if you want to give them a helping hand b/c a lot of native seeds have a "germination inhibitor" in the pulp of the flesh. I myself just scatter the seeds and they grow very well but if you want even more insurance, I would clean the seeds, rake the ground to loosen it, scatter your seed and then rake in the seed so they aren't picked up by birds. Allowing them to stratify naturally will give you a better germination rate as well as a much stronger plant.

Barb
southern Ontario, CANADA