Yellow Skunk Cabbage is one of the first plants to bloom in Pacific Northwest wetlands, pushing through cold soils in February and March with a bright yellow spathe surrounding a club-shaped spadix. It generates heat through thermogenesis to melt through snow and attract early-flying insects. Bears consume the roots, which are toxic raw but edible after extensive processing.
Habitat
Swampy forests, stream margins, and wet meadows of the Pacific Northwest
Diet
Thermogenic flowers attract early flies and beetles; roots eaten by bears
How common
Common
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