Skunk Cabbage
Symplocarpus foetidus
Click or tap the section titles below to learn more about this species!
CLASSIFICATION: What’s in a name?
Scientific Name: Symplocarpus foetidus. The genus, Symplocarpus, comes from Greek and means “compound fruit”. The epithet, foetidus means stinking in Latin, referring to the unpleasant odor of the flowers and crushed foliage.
Common Name: Skunk Cabbage. This curious name comes from the large, cabbage-like leaves and potent “skunky” smell produced by the flowers and crushed foliage.
Family: Araceae (Arum family). Plants in the arum family have a unique flower structure. The fertile parts are arranged in a dense spike called a spadix. It is paired with a bract (modified leaflike structure) called a spathe. Some members of this family you might know include calla lilies, taro, monstera, and Jack-in-the-pulpit.4
IDENTIFICATION: What does it look like?
Average Height: 12-24 inches
Description: A perennial plant that can often be found growing in large colonies. The leaves are very large and oval with a pointed tip and prominent veins. The flower emerges before the new leaves, and is composed of a reddish-purple, brown or yellowish spathe shaped like a hood or cowl. Inside is the spadix, a head of petalless flowers which emit a foul odor attractive to flies. Later, the plant bears a round, textured fruit which looks rather alien, and is composed of many segments each containing one seed.
Bloom time: Jan – Mar
Notes: Skunk Cabbage is very remarkable in that its flowers have the ability to produce heat! Since this plant blooms in winter, this feature enables it to melt through snow and ice in order to bloom, and a ring of snow-free ground can often be observed around each flower. The heat produced by the plant’s respiration also prevents the flower from freezing during cold winter temperatures.5
LOCATION: Where is it at home?
Range: Widespread in Virginia, commonly found in the mountains and Piedmont, with the exception of the farthest southwest portion of the state. Less common but widespread in the Coastal Plain.6 A Northeastern species, widely distributed from Minnesota east to the eastern provinces of Canada and Maine, and south to North Carolina.3,9
Geology/Soil: Not particular about soil chemistry, but restricted to wetland soils which experience upwelling of groundwater.
Habitat: A wide variety of seepages, bogs, fens, swamps, brook banks, and seepy areas of floodplains.1
CONNECTIONS: What are its relationships to other plants, animals, and humans?
Flora associations: This species is typically found with other species of seepage wetlands, such as false hellebore (Veratrum viride), marsh-marigold (Caltha palustris), cinnamon fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum), winterberry (Ilex verticillata), golden ragwort (Packera aurea), and various sedges (Carex spp.). Tree species occurring in the forested examples of these wetlands include red maple (Acer rubrum), ashes (Fraxinus nigra, F. pennsylvanica), and black gum (Nyssa sylvatica).
Fauna associations: The foul odor, dark reddish color, and heat-emitting properties of the flowers all serve as an excellent attraction for flies, which serve as its pollinators. In addition, the leaves are often eaten by black bears in early spring when they emerge from their hibernation.2
Human associations: Over time, people have found a variety of uses for this plant. Despite its unappetizing name, the roots can be made edible by a prolonged dehydration which removes calcium oxalate found in all parts of the plant (this causes an intense burning sensation on ingestion).8 Many Indigenous tribes have a long history of using this plant for a wide variety of medicines, from cough medicine to an anticonvulsive.7
We want these plants to thrive and for everyone who gets to visit the park to enjoy them, so remember – don’t pick flowers or other parts of the plant!!
Bibliography & Definitions
1 Weakley, A.S., J.C. Ludwig, and J.F. Townsend. 2012. Flora of Virginia. Bland Crowder, ed. Foundation of the Flora of Virginia Project, Inc., Richmond. Fort Worth: Botanical Research Institute of Texas Press, , pp. 1155-1157.
2 Hilty, John. “Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus Foetidus).” Www.illinoiswildflowers.info, www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wetland/plants/skunk_cabbage.htm. Accessed 16 May 2024.
3 LeGrand, Harry, et al. “Vascular Plants of North Carolina.” Ncparks.gov, 2019, auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/plant_list.php.
4 Petruzzello, Melissa . “Araceae | Plant Family | Britannica.” Www.britannica.com, www.britannica.com/plant/Araceae.
5 Stritch, Larry . “Plant of the Week.” Www.fs.usda.gov, www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/symplocarpus_foetidus.shtml#:~:text=The%20genus%20name%20Symplocarpus%20is. Accessed 16 May 2024.
6 Virginia Botanical Associates. “Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora | Symplocarpus Foetidus (L.) Salisbury Ex W.P. C. Barton.” Www.vaplantatlas.org, www.vaplantatlas.org/index.php?do=plant&plant=42&search=Search. Accessed 16 May 2024.
7 “BRIT – Native American Ethnobotany Database.” Naeb.brit.org, naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=symplocarpus. Accessed 16 May 2024.
8 Gibbons, Euell. Stalking the Healthful Herbs. Alan C. Hood & Company, Inc., 1966.
9 Bonap.net, 2024, bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Symplocarpus%20foetidus.png. Accessed 16 May 2024.
Definitions:
Spathe: A modified leaf which grows below or around the fertile flowers of members of the arum family (Araceae).
Spadix: A structure, often spikelike, on which the fertile flowers of arums are attached.