The hottest native plant in McDonald Woods is now in bloom! Managing ecologist, Matt Evans, shares some interesting facts about skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), one of the first spring blooms to see along the trails. | Chicago Botanic Garden

What does skunk cabbage reveal about the environment? 🥬 Skunk cabbage is a large leaved plant with an odor that lives up to the nameLuckily they only smell if their leaves or stem gets broken But they tell us even more about what’s happening around them!These plants are early bloomers in spring, arriving even while there is snow on the ground!This is because they can create their own heat! And lastly, because skunk cabbage thrives in wet environments, they are a clear and unmissable sign of nea

📆 If you're counting down the days until spring, we've got good news: it's almost skunk cabbage season! The eastern skunk cabbage (symplocarpus foetidus) is one of the earliest blooming wildflowers in the eastern United States. 🌼 Emerging as early as February, this perennial—a plant that appears year after year—thrives in seepage swamps and wet soils. Its maroon and green spathes push through snow, generating its own heat to protect its tiny yellow flowers inside. 🦨 True to its name, skunk ca

People may convince you otherwise, a wildflower book may deter you, your nose may steer you away — though when harvested at its correct stage, and when processed in a precise way, eastern skunk cabbage is indeed edible. Interested in hearing more? Check out the new video! | Learn Your Land

Bloom alert: Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) is blooming in McDonald Woods. Managing ecologist Heather Decker shares how this #nativeplant to the Chicago region got its name, and what makes it so unique. | Chicago Botanic Garden