Eastern Skunk Cabbage

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

Appearance

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.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassLiliopsidaOrderAlismatalesFamilyAraceaeGenusSymplocarpus

Eastern Skunk Cabbage

Interesting facts

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.

Special abilities

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.

Measurements & details

Height: 10-60 cm
Spread: 30-90 cm
Flower Size: 10-20 cm
Bloom Season: Late winter to early spring
Edible: No
Toxicity: Moderate
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

eaten by

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

Deer browse on its large leaves.

eaten by

American Black Bear

Ursus americanus

Bears sometimes consume its leaves.

pollinates

Blue Bottle Fly

Calliphora vomitoria

Flies are drawn to its warm, stinky flowers.

pollinates

American Carrion Beetle

Necrophila americana

Beetles are attracted by its strong odor.

Traits

Aromatic

Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.

Spring Blooming

Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.

Broadleaf Tree

Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates.

Fragrant Flower

Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.

Medicinal

Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.

Edible

Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.

Pollinator Magnet

Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

Wetland

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.