Skunk cabbage
Lysichiton americanus · Aquatic plants
Flowers or seeds · Photo: florawhite / CC BY
Also called Yellow skunk cabbage, Swamp lantern, Western skunk cabbage
How to identify Skunk cabbage
- Huge, bright green leaves up to 4 feet
- Yellow hoodlike flower in early spring
- Skunky smell
- Fleshy rootstock
Similar plants
Yellow pond lily has floating round leaves; false hellebore grows on drier ground with pleated leaves.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Flowers in March and April, leaves grow through summer and die back in fall. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | About 40 F soil |
| Light | Part shade to shade |
| Depth | Saturated muck to about 6 inches of water |
| How it spreads | Seeds and rootstocks |
| Habitat | Swamps, seeps, spring fed ponds and wet woods with mucky soil. |
Why it matters in a lake
Contains crystals that burn the mouth; toxic if eaten raw.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Occasional
- Oregon: Occasional
- Wyoming: Not recorded
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Alismatales |
| Family | Araceae |
| Scientific name | Lysichiton americanus |
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