SkunkCabbageFacts.Skunkcabbage gets its name from the fact that, when the leaves are crushed or bruised, it gives off a smell of skunk or rotting meat. Skunkcabbage can generate its own heat, allowing this curling spathe of skunkcabbage to melt the surrounding snow and break through to the surface. The skunkcabbage is listed as endangered in Tennessee. The destruction of lowland habitats is considered a threat to this species. Fun Fact. Eastern skunkcabbage has very large leaves. They can grow to be about 40 to 55 centimeters (16 to 22 inches) long and 30 to 40 centimeters (12 to 16 inches) wide. Firstly, they keep the flower warm. In fact, skunkcabbage emits heat that melts surrounding snow and ice as it emerges, and it maintains this heat for a few weeks. Later in the year, skunkcabbage has broad, layered leaves that look like cabbage. This plant loses its leaves annually but can live up to 20 years. If you’ve ever smelled SkunkCabbage, you know that its odor is far from pleasing, lying somewhere between a skunk’s spray and overcooked garlic. But that scent is its saving grace. Western SkunkCabbage (Lysichiton americanus). fetid-flowers-album-lysichiton-101111.The Western SkunkCabbage is tiny in comparison to the corpse flowers. Skunkcabbage is aptly named for the smell that emanates from the plant. The smell of rotting flesh entices pollinators to check out the flowers. Skunkcabbage earned its common name for exactly the reason you probably expect. The plant gives off an undesirable odor when crushed or bruised. The smell serves an important purpose.
