The flower-containing spathes of Skunk Cabbages are surfacing like porpoises in the water-logged bogs, bringing the deeper woods some of its first Spring color. We have the Eastern Skunk Cabbage, which emerges out of purple spathes; the Western version has yellow spathes.
By summer, Skunk Cabbages will be regal, shade-producing canopies for smaller wildlife.:
July 2018
The plant’s name is uncharitable, but descriptive; it has bad breath when it flowers or is bruised. But, that’s why the plant has survived for centuries: that odor is very pleasant to bees and other pollinators and obnoxious to larger animals that might crush it. Some gardeners plant Skunk Cabbages at strategic points within their gardens to repel squirrels and raccoons and attract bees and butterflies. (Brooklin, Maine)