Cicada on a green dragon seedpod

Cicada on a green dragon seedpod

Pictured is a late-season cicada sitting on the seedpod of a plant called the green dragon. It is a native plant that somewhat resembles a jack-in-the-pulpit as concerns the seedpod. Both plants bear a single seedpod that is green while growing and turns red at maturity. The seedpods of both plants ripen in late summer and can be easily confused one with the other, as each plant will wilt and fall over with the ripe fruit intact.

During the growing season, the green dragon is a much taller plant, growing to over 3 feet tall. The jack-in-the-pulpit is often no more than 15 inches tall. The leaf configurations are different on the two plants.