I stink, therefore I am. Pew pew pew! Symplocarpus foetidus, commonly known as skunk cabbage, or eastern skunk cabbage (also swamp cabbage, clumpfoot cabbage, meadow cabbage, or polecat weed. Hmm. Not polecat cabbage?) is a low-growing plant that grows in wetlands and moist hill slopes in the eastern part of the country. The skunk cabbage is among the earliest flowering plants, sometimes emerging through the frozen soil and snow and at a time of year when temperatures may still dip below freezing. What’s that smell? The species name, foetidus, shares its root with the word “fetid,” which means "stinking." And if you don’t mind getting down on your hands and knees in the skunk cabbage’s soggy habitat to sniff this plant you’ll discover it has what most would consider an unpleasant odor. We warned you. It’s in the name! Fun fact! The blue bottle fly (Calliphora vomitoria) and other blowflies are common pollinators of skunk cabbage. Image: Two bulbous Skunk Cabbage buds nestled amo...