Skunk Cabbage

Gloriously yellow these guys pop up early every spring in the lowest and wettest areas. This is why I like a camera with an articulating viewer so that I do not have to lie in the mud and water.

Lysichiton americanus
The plant grows from rhizomes that measure 30 cm or longer, and 2.5 to 5 cm in diameter. The leaves are the largest of any native plant in the region, 50?135 cm long and 30?80 cm wide when mature. Its flowers are produced in a spadix contained within a large, bright yellow or yellowish green spathe 30?40 cm tall; it is among the first flowers to appear in spring. The blooming stem produces heat, which can be sufficient to melt the snow around the plant.