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Eastern Skunk Cabbage Wikimedia Commons
Araceae

Eastern Skunk Cabbage

Symplocarpus foetidus

Endurance through adversity.

Family
Araceae
Genus
Symplocarpus
Native to
Eastern North America
Bloom season
Late Winter, Early Spring
Type
Perennial
Height
30-60 cm
Sunlight
Partial shade to full shade
Soil
Wet, boggy, rich
Water
High
Hardiness
3-7
Lifespan
Perennial

Did you know

  • It can generate its own heat through thermogenesis, melting through frozen ground and snow to bloom.
  • The spadix can reach temperatures 15-35°C above ambient air temperature.
  • Its foul smell, reminiscent of rotting flesh, attracts early-season fly and beetle pollinators.
  • The roots contract each year, pulling the stem deeper into the mud, making the plant essentially impossible to dig up.
  • Some specimens are estimated to be hundreds of years old due to their continuously growing rootstock.

Color meanings

0

Resilience

1

Primitive strength

2

Renewal

Uses

  • Wetland gardens
  • Bog gardens
  • Native plant restoration
  • Educational gardens