Lysichiton is a genus in the Araceae family. There are two species, both wetland plants with vertical rhizomes known by the common name of skunk cabbage. The other genus with plants known as skunk cabbage is Symplocarpus.
Lysichiton americanus or the western Skunk Cabbage is found in western North America. It grows in cool swamps and bogs near the coast from Central California north to British Columbia and Alaska. It prefers acid saturated soil and cool summers. It has very large tropical looking shiny green leaves and bright yellow flowers and is dormant in winter. The first two photos were taken by Mary Sue Ittner in Ferndale, California June 2007. I couldn't get close enough to show the fading flower since all were growing in bog conditions and I didn't have waders on but if you look closely in the second photo you can see it. The third photo from Bob Rutemoeller was taken several years earlier in a private garden open to the public in central Scotland. The last three photos were taken by Rozann Grunig at the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands.
Lysichiton camtschatcense , Asian Skunk Cabbage, is found in Northeastern Asia. It has white spathes. Photos by Mari Kitama taken in June 2008 at the Oze national park (1400 m) in Japan.
