Western Skunk Cabbage

If you are hiking around western Oregon in April or May you are bound to run into some Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton americanus). They are hard to miss due to their large size (up to 2 ft. high), bright yellow flowers, and distinct smelly odor! These cabbages thrive in shady marshes or swamps at low elevations. We spotted these on the Gales Creek trail in the Coast Range (4/12/2012).