Skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus)

January 20, 2022 /
Skunk cabbage blossoms, Portland, OR
A few nights ago, my husband and I were talking about skunk cabbage. I have no idea why. Our conversations get pretty random, mostly because we’ve been together for 35 years and can usually follow each other’s topic jumps. Plus, after that many years, we have to get into some pretty esoteric stuff to find something new to talk about.

Anyway, for those who haven’t spent time in the swampy parts of the Pacific Northwest, this is a skunk cabbage. They are lovely bog plants that look something like a large bird’s nest fern. In the spring, they send up exotic-looking yellow flowers that look something like calla lilies. And smell something like corpse flowers.

OK, I’ve never actually smelled a corpse flower–seeing (not smelling) one is on my gardening bucket list–but the skunk cabbage, like the corpse flower, is pollinated by flies and therefore smells like rotting meat. Ain’t nature great?

This particular skunk cabbage grew at the edge of a natural stream in our Portland, Oregon, backyard. This photo was taken April 7, 2007, right after a rain (spoiler alert: in Portland in April, if it isn’t raining, it’s “right after a rain.” Also true of every other month except June, July, and August–if you’re lucky).

Posted for Cee’s Flower of the Day photo challenge. Need more flowers in your life? Check out Cee’s blog as well as my flower of the day posts.

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