Knowledgebase
Poison ivy or Jack-in-the-pulpit #751400
Asked May 21, 2021, 9:06 PM EDT
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
Hello! Thank you for your question and photo. This plant looks consistent with Jack-in-the-pulpit, and they sometimes do display the rippled texture you see on the outer edge. There are a couple of things you can look at to see if you can get a more accurate ID (without the flowers and fruit, as you note). Jack-in-the-pulpit is an herbaceous plant, meaning that it will die down in the frost, while poison ivy is a woody vine or shrub. It seems unlikely that you would just see one stalk of poison ivy, so you may want to check around the area to see if you see more stalks coming from a vine or other kind of woody structure. If it is Jack-in-the-pulpit, the stalk will look more green and have a soft/spongy texture. Keep in mind that Jack-in-the-pulpit do not flower every year, and can also produce male or female flowers on the same plant on alternate years. So, if you don't see a flower this year, it may be that the plant is still reaching maturity.
Hope this helps!
Could it be Star-of-Bethlehem? The flower and the striped blade are consistent with that plant.
Janet
Thank you! Yes, the rain is really greening everything up :) Have a wonderful weekend!