western skunk cabbage

Lysichiton americanus

Western skunk cabbage is a unique plant that grows in wet areas. It has big, green leaves and a bright yellow flower that looks like a hood. This plant can smell a bit stinky, but it helps nature by providing food for some animals.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The western skunk cabbage has large, glossy green leaves that can grow over a meter long. Its unique flower features a bright yellow, hooded spathe that wraps around a central stalk, appearing before the leaves in early spring.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassLiliopsidaOrderAlismatalesFamilyAraceaeGenusLysichiton

western skunk cabbage

Interesting facts

Despite its name, this smelly plant is actually a wild cousin to beautiful calla lilies!

Its huge, glossy leaves can grow over a meter long, making a great hiding spot!

This plant can warm itself, making its flower up to 20°C (68°F) warmer than the air!

Wow, it's one of the first plants to bloom, often pushing right through snow!

Special abilities

western skunk cabbage can generate its own heat, melting surrounding snow to bloom incredibly early.

western skunk cabbage has a foul odor that lures flies and beetles, its crucial early-spring pollinators.

western skunk cabbage can thrive in mucky, low-oxygen wetland soils where most other plants cannot grow.

western skunk cabbage has massive leaves that unfurl to capture maximum sunlight in shady, wet habitats.

Measurements & details

Height: 30-150 cm
Spread: 50-100 cm
Flower Size: 15-40 cm
Bloom Season: Spring
Edible: No
Toxicity: High
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

eaten by

American Black Bear

Ursus americanus

A crucial early spring food source

eaten by

Mule Deer

Odocoileus hemionus

Browses on the emerging leaves

pollinates

Flesh Fly

Helicobia rapax

Attracted by its warm, stinky flowers

shelters

Northern Red-legged Frog

Rana aurora

Finds cool shade under its huge leaves

Traits

Aromatic

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

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

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.

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.

Rapid Growing

Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.

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.