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Home  /  Plants  /  Budburst Species  /  Symplocarpus foetidus

COMMON NAME

Skunk cabbage

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Symplocarpus foetidus

Plant family

Arum (Araceae)

Plant group

Wildflowers and Herbs

A low-growing wetland plant reaching just 1-3' tall. The flower emerges first, followed by the large leaves. The stems remain buried in the soil.
251 reports
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OBSERVERS
251+
OBSERVATIONS
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Identification hints

This is usually the first flower to bloom in late winter or early spring, often found in a ring of melted snow-- a chemical process allows these plants to heat themselves up and melt the snow around them when they're ready to bloom.
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Did you know?

The skunk cabbage gets its name from the foul odor produced by the leaves when crushed.
DISTRIBUTION IN TH U.S.
Connecticut , District of Columbia , Delaware , Iowa , Illinois , Indiana , Massachusetts , Maryland , Maine , Michigan , Minnesota , North Carolina , New Hampshire , New Jersey , New York , Ohio , Pennsylvania , Rhode Island , Tennessee , Virginia , Vermont , Wisconsin , West Virginia
HABITAT
Growing in swamps and rich muddy soils
ATTRIBUTES
Leaves
Leaves are 16-22" long and 12-16" wide, bright green with a somewhat waxy appearance and prominent venation. The leaves emerge from the soil, without an above ground stem.
Flowers
A 4-6" mottled brown-red sheath (spathe) covers a yellow knob-like cluster of tiny flowers (spadix) inside. These flowers emerge from the soil before the leaves.
Fruits
Fruit is a geometrically patterned sphere, 2" in diameter and containing several spongy berry-like fleshy fruits, each with a single seed.
Bloom Time
These wetlands plants bloom in late winter to early spring.

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