Skunk Cabbage

The leaves are just starting to come in on the skunk cabbage. When they open up, they will be huge, green leaves that form a rosette shape. They were growing all around a vernal pool in a mostly deciduous forest.

Skunk cabbage is not a true cabbage plant, but is a member of a mostly tropical family of plants, Araceae. It gets its name from the pungent skunk-like odor that is released when any part of the plant is broken or damaged, and from its huge, green leaves that grow in a rosette and look somewhat like a cabbage.