# 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. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 105 - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** Skunk Cabbage ![Eastern Skunk Cabbage](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/SKUNKCABBAGE-MOSS-400X575.jpg&width=800) Photo: Sue Sweeney., CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SKUNKCABBAGE-MOSS-400X575.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Alismatales - **Family:** Araceae - **Genus:** Symplocarpus ## 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 - **Natural Heater:** Eastern Skunk Cabbage can generate its own heat, melting snow and ice around it to emerge earlier than almost any other plant. - **Stinky Signal:** Eastern Skunk Cabbage has a strong, skunky smell that attracts early-season insects like flies to pollinate its hidden flowers. - **Self-Digging Roots:** 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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-carrion-beetle) (*Necrophila americana*) — Beetles are attracted by its strong odor. ## Traits - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/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. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Do not touch or eat any plants without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Eastern Skunk Cabbage? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Eastern Skunk Cabbage? 10-60 cm ### How wide does Eastern Skunk Cabbage spread? 30-90 cm ### How big are the flowers on Eastern Skunk Cabbage? 10-20 cm ### When does Eastern Skunk Cabbage bloom? Late winter to early spring ### Is Eastern Skunk Cabbage edible? No ### Is Eastern Skunk Cabbage toxic? Moderate ### What is Eastern Skunk Cabbage's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Abbott Farm Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/abbott-farm-historic-district) — New Jersey, US · Historic District - [Barrington Civic Center Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/barrington-civic-center-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Berkshire Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/berkshire-botanical-garden) — Massachusetts, US · Botanical Garden - [Blackstone Boulevard–Cole Avenue–Grotto Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackstone-boulevard-cole-avenue-grotto-avenue-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Brett Woods Open Space](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brett-woods-open-space) — Connecticut, US · Park - [Connecticut College Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/connecticut-college-arboretum) — Connecticut, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Eastern Skunk Cabbage](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/eastern-skunk-cabbage) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Eastern Skunk Cabbage: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-skunk-cabbage)