




Symplocarpus foetidus
Eastern Skunk Cabbage is a unique plant that grows in wet areas. It has big, green leaves and a funny smell that helps attract bugs for pollination.
Habitat: Wetlands
The Eastern Skunk Cabbage has a unique, hood-like purple-brown spathe, often mottled with green, that emerges directly from the ground. Its large, bright green, hosta-like leaves unfurl much later, forming a broad, lush clump.





Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
2/5 · Low
Snaps
105
Its enormous, heart-shaped leaves can grow up to two feet long and wide in summer!
Its unique odor smells like rotting meat to attract hungry flies for pollination!
The first part to appear is a colorful, hooded bloom, even before any leaves pop out.
This plant can live for many decades, growing in the same wet spot year after year.
Eastern Skunk Cabbage can generate its own heat, melting snow and ice around it to emerge earlier than almost any other plant.
Eastern Skunk Cabbage has a strong, skunky smell that attracts early-season insects like flies to pollinate its hidden flowers.
Eastern Skunk Cabbage has contractile roots that pull the plant deeper into the mud over time, anchoring it securely.

Odocoileus virginianus
Deer browse on its large leaves.
Ursus americanus
Bears sometimes consume its leaves.
Calliphora vomitoria
Flies are drawn to its warm, stinky flowers.
Necrophila americana
Beetles are attracted by its strong odor.
Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.
Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates.
Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.
Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment.
Danger
2/5 · Low
Do not touch or eat any plants without asking an adult first.
The easiest way to identify Eastern Skunk Cabbage is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.
10-60 cm
30-90 cm
10-20 cm
Late winter to early spring
No
Moderate
Perennial
Zoom in to split clusters and explore where this object has been snapped.
Jun 6, 2026
East Windsor Hill Historic DistrictPhoto attribution
(c) Mark Apgar, some rights reserved (CC BY)
License: CC BY 4.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
May 30, 2026
Quaker Farms Historic DistrictPhoto attribution
(c) Jessica Utrup, some rights reserved (CC BY)
License: CC BY 4.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
Mar 23, 2026
South Mountain ReservationPhoto attribution
(c) Tom Pollard, some rights reserved (CC BY)
License: CC BY 4.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
Mar 16, 2026
Coleman Station Historic DistrictPhoto attribution
no rights reserved
License: CC0 1.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
Mar 15, 2026
South Mountain ReservationPhoto attribution
(c) Tom Pollard, some rights reserved (CC BY)
License: CC BY 4.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.

New Jersey, US
You might spot Garlic Mustard, Sensitive Fern, and Common Mugwort.
View guide →

Rhode Island, US
You might spot Common Eastern Bumble Bee and Osprey.
View guide →
Massachusetts, US
You might spot Common Eastern Bumble Bee and Eastern Skunk Cabbage.
View guide →

Rhode Island, US
You might spot Spotted Lanternfly, Duck, and American Robin.
View guide →

Connecticut, US
You might spot Eastern Skunk Cabbage and Eastern White Pine.
View guide →
Connecticut, US
You might spot Common Mugwort and Canada Goose.
View guide →