western skunk cabbage

The western skunk cabbage, scientifically known as Lysichiton americanum, is a plant native to the Pacific coast of North America, ranging from California to Alaska and eastward to Montana. It belongs to the arum family (Araceae) and is characterized by its large yellow spathe. This plant, like other skunk cabbages, grows in wet, swampy areas and emits a fetid odor reminiscent of a skunk. Another species, Symplocarpus foetidus, is found in eastern North America and Asia and has a purplish-brown spathe. The term "skunk cabbage" is also applied to Lysichiton camtschatcensis of eastern Asia, which has a white spathe.12