As the upland woods and meadows continued to lay dormant, these forested wetlands were the earliest places to come back to life. Before the first robin, another, less adored creature heralds the coming of spring. As a kid playing in the woods, I knew spring was just around the corner by the emergence of the odd, skunk cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus . One of the first plants to surface, skunk cabbage appears as early as February, often popping through snow. In fact, the respiration from a skunk cabbage often creates enough heat to melt snow surrounding the plant.
Skunk cabbage is a low-growing herbaceous plant found in swamps, wet woods and stream borders.
The common name comes from the plant's large, cabbage-like leaves. The name also alludes to the strong, fetid smell emitted when certain parts of the plant are touched or bruised. Some describe the smell as resembling the smell of skunk. It has also been described as musky, garlicky or similar to decaying flesh. Chemicals in the plant produce the unpleasant odor.