Nurturing Natives- Skunk Cabbage

Ew! What’s that smell? The skunk cabbage, a late-winter-blooming perennial, uses its pungent scent to deter predators and attract carrion-feeding flies and other hungry insects! These plants arise from the ground as flower buds near wet areas like creeks and small streams— including some spaces in the Arb! Their leaves will follow once the blooms begin to fade. This plant is also able to bloom so early due to it being able to maintain a constant internal temperature of around 70 degrees, allowing it to melt the snow in its vicinity!