There is a patch of skunk cabbage growing on the farm in a little dell that stays moist year round. I love to go and see if it's blooming yet and even though it's just January, it was already in flower. Our Eastern skunk cabbage is botanically known as Symplocarpus foetidus. The foetidus refers to the odor of flower and foliage. The spadix that rises in January surrounds and protects the spath, functions like a hood or umbrella, it keeps cold and wet from the internal flowers and holds in the heat. The heat emitted by the spath can rise 30 degrees above outside temperatures, melting away snow and providing a warm place for visiting pollinators. Even in this day and age there is confusion as to how the pollination actually takes place. Flies and beetles are frequent visitors, but the design of the spath allows for a wind flow, which may account for some pollination. As irregular as the spath appears, it seems to be a highly evolved design to help release odor, build heat and allow air flow (referred to as vortical airflow).

I have read that is doesn't matter what orientation the flower takes (north, east or south), most of the plants on the farm face southwest, like they are taking advantage of the westerly winds.

The roots of skunk cabbage are interesting too, they are referred to as contractile. As they grow, they can pull, essentially pulling the roots deeper into the muck. Apparently it's not easy to dig up skunk cabbage. Contractile roots are wrinkly and numerous plants have them. Dandelions, lilies and eucomis are just a few. It's easy to understand why skunk cabbage has this type of root, the wet ground around them heaves up and down with frequent freeze and thaw cycles, this allows the plant to stay put.

Like the flowers (which can be so malodorous), the foliage smells bad too. Yesterday I saw 13 wild turkeys down by the skunk cabbage spring. Turkeys will feed on the plant, which is considered poisonous, bears will too. Some animals eat the seeds, which are relatively scarce when you consider how many flowers they produce. The seeds look like brown balls about the size of a large marble.

In summer the foliage of skunk cabbage is luxuriant and light green. Someone once asked me about the hosta that grows on their farm (?), well it turned out to be skunk cabbage, the next best thing.