Western Skunk Cabbage
Lysichiton americanus
The bold yellow spathe of Pacific Northwest swamps and seeps, opening in earliest spring before the enormous paddle-shaped leaves expand to three feet or more. It is pollinated largely by rove beetles drawn to its musky scent. Needs permanently wet, mucky ground — spectacular at a pond edge, hopeless in a border.
- Family
- Araceae
- Type
- wildflower
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 1.5–3 ft
- Spacing
- 2–4 ft apart
- Light
- part shade
- Soil moisture
- wet
- Soil pH
- neutral
- Bloom
- March, April, May
- Bloom colors
- yellow, green
- Wildlife value
- pollinators, mammals
- Landscape uses
- rain garden, naturalizing
- Native states
- AK, CA, ID, MT, OR, WA