Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Skunk Heaven

Symplocarpus foetidusHear ye, hear ye! The Skunk Cabbage is up at the Native Flora Garden at Ye Brooklyn Wedding Venue! Symplocarpus foetidusSymplocarpus foetidus favors wetlands, as this plant demonstrates from mid-gurgle of the stream.Symplocarpus foetidusOf course, this earliest of spring plants was up already down south weeks ago, but Brooklyn is where I am, so I celebrate it’s emergence here. The colors! The freaky strategy of creating its own snow-melting warmth! The fleshy forms in the chill murky rot of old leaves!Symplocarpus foetidusThe wheels of nature go ’round and ’round. That’s why some of us like it here on Earth (others, tragically, impose their death-driven desire to destroy and devour upon us). Also, I’ve written about Skunk Cabbage before, so there’s no sense in repeating myself.

3 responses to “Skunk Heaven”

  1. […] I missed the emergence of Skunk Cabbage this year. Here’s some of the mature, cabbagy leaves as they look now. The time-travelling internet, however, can take us back to a previous year’s sprouting. […]

  2. […] April 1st or 2nd? Two years ago. […]

  3. Always glad to see these.

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