Skunk Cabbage: the Final Chapter (Probably)
Days of Green Leaves
As many of you now know, the early spring blossoms of eastern skunk cabbage look like something out of a sci-fi film. However, these thick, maroon pods don’t hatch into aliens; instead, they shelter a self-warming “spadix,” which is actually comprised of many petal-less flowers. The heat that emanates from these bizarre buds melts any surrounding snow and disperses a rotten, skunk-like smell on thermal air currents — very enticing to the right kinds of insects (namely, pollinators).
We are a month into spring now, and the flourishing skunk cabbage is unrecognizable.
These days it’s less skunk and more cabbage. The smelly flowers are wilting away and huge green leaves are rising and unfurling.
The full, leafy plants proliferate along streams and through wetlands, serving as a nutritious meal for hungry flightless insects, and a wonderful place for caterpillars to lay eggs. The root systems within a skunk cabbage patch are…
