Garden Designers & Landscape Gardeners
Garden Buildings in South & East England

Lysichiton americanus.
Left - the fully grown leaves of the 'Skunk cabbage' probably close to the end of their season when they can reach over 50cm long and 30cm wide.
Photo coutesy of Calphotos, see their link on our Resources Page.
 Centre - the leaves are a much lusher and fresher shade of green when they first emerge after the flowers and for most of the season. Originally from north America where it grows in damp ground on stream banks and in bogs it is commonly know as the 'skunk cabbage' because of the heavy musky scent emitted by its flower.
Photo courtesey of Calphotos, see their link on our Resources Page.
Right - The flowers emerge before the leaves and are typical of the Aroid family with a cowl shaped spathe which at first is curled around a central spike called a spadix. The spathe is bright yellow in L. americanus. This large leaved exotic looking plant can be grown in moist woodland conditions, boggy waterlogged soil or as a marginal plant in a submerged container of soil in a shallow part of a pond.