Skunk Cabbage heralds winter‘s end, blooming as early as February in Eastern North America, giving winter-weary folks like me a real jolt of electricity. This early bloomer of marshy woods generates its own heat, the result of the cellular respiration generated by its rapid growth. This heat actually melts the snow and ice around the plant. Its common and species name refer to the plant’s strong fetid odor, particularly noticeable when the plant is bruised. The nasty smell attracts pollinating insects to the plant.
The large brownish-purple and green shell-like spathe*, which emerges from the wet soil in late winter and early spring, encloses a knob-like spadix** that is covered with tiny flowers. The tight roll of large green leaves that has grown beside the spathe unfolds by late-spring to form huge dark green, cabbage-like leaves. Skunk Cabbage can grow in large colonies, covering vast areas with a carpet of its absurdly large leaves.
Yellow Skunkcabbage (Lysichitum americanum), which can be found in marshes and wet woods along the west coast from California to Alaska, and inland at low elevations to Western Montana, has a bright yellow spathe. Its tiny flowers cover a conspicuous stalk that rises up out of the spathe.
Native Americans, who found uses for most plants, were undaunted by the decaying flesh aroma of Skunk Cabbage. A powder obtained from the dried roots was used to dress wounds, the root hairs were used to treat toothaches, and the massive leaves were used as poultices. Epileptics chewed the leaves to avoid seizures, a tea was prepared from the roots for whooping cough, it was used as a cold medicine, and bundles of leaves were sniffed to treat headaches. It was even used by the Menomini in healing art of tattooing the sick.
Some Native Americans made flour from the dried roots while others ate the early spring leaves, which had to be dried and boiled repeatedly to remove the mouth-blistered calcium oxalate. In large quantities Skunk Cabbage can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness and even temporary blindness. (Hmmm. I don’t recall my mother saying, “Stop eating that or you’ll go blind.”)
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