In the northwestern United States, in early spring, you can observe an amazing phenomenon: plants, in order to germinate through the snow, melt it with their warmth. Skunk cabbage or symlocarpus maintains a constant temperature.
The blanket emerges from the frozen ground. Flowers, when heated, radiate heat. 35 degrees - such indicators were able to record scientists. Green inflorescences bloom when there is no trace of foliage. A very specific "flavor" attracts flies.
Exotic snowdrop
In addition to flies, there are a lot of beetles around the skunk cabbage, and a cobweb covers the hole in the cob. In this period, insect pollination takes place.
The plant has an amazing ability: it is warm to the touch. Nature created Simplocarpus as a kind of chemical reactor, which increases its temperature, due to the ongoing reactions, by 10-15 degrees.
The Latin sonorous name Symplocarpus foetidus sounds more common in the States. Snowdrop is known as Oriental Smelly Cabbage. If everything is clear about the smell, it strongly resembles that emitted by skunks, then oriental cabbage is called because it most often grows on the east coast of the country.
A strange masterpiece of nature
The aroma is especially pronounced if the leaf is torn off and rubbed in your hands. At the time of germination, the seedlings maintain a temperature at a minimum of 15, a maximum of 35 degrees. One of the few plants capable of generating heat with the help of buds melts snow and ice, making its way upward.
That is why the first spring flies pollinate the symlocarpus. Skunk cabbage has another feature: it grows downward. Buds with leaves die off constantly, and the roots invariably lengthen and thicken more and more. They grow to such an extent that it is impossible to dig out old specimens.
Simlocarpus cannot reproduce with the help of rhizomes. There is only one option open to him: seeds. Immigrants from Sweden called the plant Bear Weed. The spectacular flower received such a name due to the fact that after hibernation the bears gnawed at it cleanly. In humans, skunk cabbage causes severe inflammation.
The plant prefers swampy areas. It also grows on Sakhalin, you can see it on the territory of Korea with Japan, on the Pacific coast.
Garden decoration
An outlandish creation of nature prefers shade and moisture, tolerates flooding, however, as a temporary phenomenon, but survives in a dry place. However, it will not be able to grow in such conditions
The exotic "snowdrop" looks very impressive. Above a thick and short cob inflorescence, a fleshy purple helmet or beak of a crimson, purple or burgundy color rises to a height of up to two tens of centimeters.
Beautiful leaves appear later, but remain until frost as a decoration for the plant.
Although symplocarpus gives off an unpleasant odor during flowering, it is still rather weak. Therefore, lovers of unusual garden crops do not regret their choice.
Another advantage of skunk cabbage is that you don't need to cover it for the winter. True, fallen leaves should not be removed either: they will play the role of mulch, which will undoubtedly benefit the plant.
