Skunk Cabbages
Mary Sue Ittner (Sat, 14 Jul 2007 07:24:16 PDT)

Hi,

In March this group discussed skunk cabbages and at the time I made a wiki
page for Symplocarpus:
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…
and Graham Rice supplied photos. I'm hoping that someone will add pictures
of the leaves.

I recently made a wiki page for the other skunk cabbage genus after I was
able to photograph some growing in a bog near Ferndale.
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…

It was kind of magical when I spotted them on a hike in a park where the
native vegetation was lush and overgrown. The map I had looked at in the
beginning showed plants you might see on this hike and had named a section
of the trail after the skunk cabbage. The trail was not level and I was
close to the top when I realized that section was at the bottom of the hill
on the other side from where I had started. I was debating whether I
wanted to hike down knowing I'd have to hike up again afterwards. There was
a side trail around a pond and I took that as I was thinking since I could
made my choice afterwards and as I rounded the corner, there they were in a
depression (large bog area). I wasn't able to get very close, but I was
still in awe since they are very dramatic in such a spot and very different
from the surrounding vegetation. I don't think my pictures have captured it
very well, but when I think about it I can remember how it felt. I'm hoping
someone will have flower pictures to add to the wiki since I couldn't get
very close.

Mary Sue