Skunks and trunks

The pond edges are full of Skunk Cabbages at the moment - hundreds of them! A bit of a weed here, but a good one, at least at this time of year. Later on the foliage grows huge and eventually flops over all the neighbours. The plant neighbours, I mean!

Lysichitum americanum comes from the Pacific North-west of the USA and Canada and down as far as California and even eastwards into Montana and Wyoming, in wet places. It's naturalised in several places in the British Isles.

Outside the scent is actually quite pleasantly spicy, but take it indoors and the skunks come with you!