Nostrils swamped
Skunk cabbage makes for a striking sight, but you may want to hold your nose, writes David Overend.
Skunk cabbage is a perennial wildflower that grows in swampy areas of forests, and it gets its name from the fact that, when the leaves are crushed or bruised, it gives off a smell of skunk or rotting meat. So it’s not really a plant for a domestic garden. Or is it?
Some plants grow too large; some require regular heavy pruning or feeding.
Look at it and wonder – it is a truly fascinating plant. And it’s because it is such a striking thing, and because it can live and thrive with its roots in wet soil that it has made the move from the wild to the cultivated.
And if you haven’t got a modest pond or rill, it will quite happily grow and flourish in a very moist section of a herbaceous border or even in a carefully-monitored large container.
In early spring, well before its leaves appear, Lysichiton americanus throws up masses of club-like spikes of small green flowers surrounded by large, protective glossy yellow spathes.
And once they have had their day, large, paddle-shaped and leathery green leaves push outwards and upwards. They need plenty of space to grow so it pays to take this into account before planting skunk cabbage.
So, this is basically a plant with a lot to recommend it. However, there is a downside to Lysichiton americanus (apart from that smell) and that’s its ability to spread. This is a very vigorous herbaceous perennial that can quickly take over large areas of land.
Skunk cabbage (part of the arum family) is native to the Pacific north-west of the USA where it thrives in swamps and wet woods. The Victorians (naturally) found it an ideal addition for their ludicrouslylarge, engineered gardens peppered with pools and streams.
So it came to the UK and found it to its liking. It also became a bit of a talking point when visitors dropped by. It also helped that a century or more ago there was plenty of cheap labour available to keep it looking good. If you’re a one-man or one-woman gardener, be prepared to spend some time keeping skunk cabbage under control – it may mean hard work but the results could be well worth the effort.