logo       < back   Beaver Brook   next >

Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) at Beaver Brook in southern New Hampshire

At trailside in Beaver Brook is Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) in bloom. At leaf base are two brownish spathes, open on one side. Hidden inside each is a greenish spadix covered with tiny yellow flowers. The bad smell (rotten meat) attracts insects for pollination.