Early Skunk Cabbage Doesn’t Disappoint

Saw a fly buzz around the other day, so I went looking for a patch of stinkin’ Skunk Cabbage. Actually, it was February 28th, after some record-breaking warm weather for a couple of days here in Central Pennsylvania, on Feb 23 and 24. (Photos taken Feb 28, 2017). It was probably the earliest in a … Read more

Skunk Cabbage First Flowers of Spring

The First Flower of Spring Award goes to… Skunk Cabbage! Looking back on my old posts here at wildeherb, it seems I’m so excited for Spring to arrive that every year I just have to get out and see the skunk cabbage. That may be because it’s our first flower of spring, but also it’s … Read more

Huge Skunk Cabbage Leaves Roll Out at the Creek

Skunk Cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus, is quite noticeable this time of year as its enormous leaves dominate the wetlands. Go driving around the countryside and where there are creeks, backwaters, or the edges of rivers in woodlands look for the very large, bright green leaves of this perennial plant. Skunk cabbage occurs in the wetland areas … Read more

Hellebores Can Take The Cold

One plant that might be found blooming very early in Spring, even before Skunk Cabbage according to a fellow garden enthusiast from New York State, is known as Hellebore. Hellebores are so hardy they may even be found blooming in the middle of winter. Now, I haven’t seen it myself, but others report that hellebores … Read more

The Lowest Early Spring Natural Flowers

In the earliest days of Spring we have only a few splotches of color starting the blooming eruption. Flowers of the spring bulbs and garden plants that we planted are much more visible than the native flowers that are blooming this early. The native ones tend to grow low so they’re not quite as able … Read more