Skunk Cabbage-Symplocarpus foetidus is the earliest flowering wildflower of the year. As a matter of fact it sometimes flowers even before the year changes. It does this by creating its own heat through a chemical reaction between oxygen and the plant’s starch supply in the roots. It is not rare to find the flowers, which precede the stinky leaves that give the plant its name, protruding through thin ice as in this picture or even popping up in snow as below.
These are from the archives. When I visited Quabbin Park last week I did find some beginnings but there was no ice due to our warm temperatures and they did not make for an appealing image.
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
This is something wintry you get to see (at least when the temperature cooperates) that we in Texas don’t.
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You have other Araceae there such as Jack in the Pulpit. So related by family but not in behavior.
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It looks like something from a sci-fi movie! Interesting!
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Sometimes real is stranger than fiction. 🙂
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Magical–and slightly spooky, like opening shoots from some horror movie? As long as they don’t say: “Feed me!” when you take their picture!
I didn’t know any plant could generate heat, how amazing, and it’s skunk cabbage! We have them here on the West Coast, too, but they’re yellow flowering and nonthermogenic.
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Um, I meant opening shots, but okay, some opening shoots, too . . .
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🙂
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As far as I know we do not have yellow flowering skunk cabbage here but I have seen images from other photographers. No worries about this one biting although one could say it has a biting pungence to it.
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Did you make up the word ‘thermospadix’? The closest entry I could find involved thermal analysis of an Arum spadix. It’s a great word for describing the plant, though. I like both of the photos, but the one with the ice crystals sure does give a sense of what the skunk cabbage is capable of.
When I read your title, the first thing that came to mind was Thermopylae. My 9th grade world history teacher would be pleased. He taught us Thermopylae was the site of a battle between Greek forces and Persian forces led by Xerxes. Today, I learned the place was named for the heat generated from local sulphur pools.
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Caught me! 🙂 I haven’t made up a word in awhile so did a little looking around and came up with this for some alliteration. The snow does work better as an example although either snow or ice could happen around here in early spring.
I didn’t know where the name Thermopylae came from aside from Greek history. And an interesting tie in for the city and the plant names. Thanks!
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I didn’t know that about skunk cabbage. That’s nature at its persevering best!
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Nature is a never-ending educational experience. She’s had millions of years, billions in some cases, to perfect her ways.
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Thanks for sharing, never seen it before.
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You are welcome, Rudi. These are very common here and sometimes grown in large patches in wetlands.
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I remember seeing skunk cabbage in the woods but did not know about it making its own heat.
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Most people only see the leaves of skunk cabbage so are unaware that it can actually “bloom” in winter. It’s one of the few that flowers before it leafs out so needs the ability to warm itself in early spring…or even the depth of winter..
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It was 2 or 3 years back I saw my first skunk cabbage in this area, but I’ve not been back to that area since then. It’s a fascinating plant, both the the heat and the stink. Nice job creating appealing images of it.
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Thanks, Todd. I am surprised that you’ve only seen it in one place. They are quite ubiquitous in wetlands.
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I strongly suspect I have and just didn’t know it at the time. I think my father mentioned seeing it at some wetlands he visits each week.
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They have an unearthly look! The top image makes them seem very mysterious too.
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They certainly are unusual plants if only for their early flowering before forming leaves..
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I like both images.
Colors, shapes, textures, patterns.
This year – no skunk cabbage?
That stinks.
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Thanks, Wally! Oh there are skunk cabbages there but the ice was not happening…yet, at least. If we don’t get colder weather the skunk cabbages will get a big jump on summer.
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