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Skunk cabbage is one of the first plants to bloom in spring. Its flowers are often partly or wholly hidden beneath last year's fallen leaves. Like many other dark-colored flowers, skunk cabbage is pollinated mostly by flies. The flowers actually produce heat -- a benefit to the flies out in cold weather. The leaves emerge after the flowers. They smell unpleasant if they are crushed, hence the name "skunk cabbage."

• Family: Arum (Araceae)
• Habitat: wet woods, marshes, streamsides
• Height: 1-2 feet
• Flower size: actual flowers are tiny (located on the ball-like spathe inside the hooded spadix); whole flowering structure is 3-5 inches high
• Flower color: purplish-brown and green
• Flowering time: February to April
• Origin: native