What a beautiful bed of skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus)! Chekka found
this delightful sight off Henry Road just before New Year’s. According to
Virtual Blue Ridge, https://www.virtualblueridge.com/nature/eastern-skunk-cabbage/
, blossoms usually appear in our area in February or March, so these are very
early.
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| Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) |
How does this winter magic happen? According to the
University of Wisconsin Master Gardener Program, “Skunk
cabbage is one of just a few plants that exhibit thermogenesis, or the ability
to metabolically generate heat, by cyanide resistant cellular respiration.
Since it can bloom while there is still snow and ice on the ground, the spadix
can generate temperatures on average 20 degrees warmer inside the spathe than
the surrounding air temperature for nearly two weeks, even keeping the
temperature constant and optimal for flower maturation and pollination.”
Maybe thermogenesis is what we need to get us through the
rest of the winter. Stay warm while you go out there in search of other winter
wonders! Thanks, Chekka!
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