Skunk cabbage, Lysichiton americanum
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Range
Ø
Climate, elevation
Ø Moist,
mild climate; Low to middle elevations (2)
Local occurrence (where,
how common)
Ø Wooded
wetlands, swamps, marshes, and wet meadows (1)
Habitat preferences
Ø Freshwater
wetlands (1)
Plant strategy type/successional stage (stress-tolerator,
competitor, weedy/colonizer, seral,
late successional)
Ø Remains fairly small in exposed, high-light areas, but can grow to be quite large under canopy cover where light intensity is lower (3, 4)
Ø Can be found everywhere from seral, wet meadow habitats, or in late-successional forest wetlands; requires soil with high water holding capacity (1, 3)
Ø Can tolerate fluctuating water levels
Associated species
Ø Sedges
(Carex spp.),
small-fruited bulrush (Scirpus microcarpus),
red alder (Alnus rubra),
salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis),
and lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina)
(1)
May be
collected as: (seed, layered, divisions, etc.)
Ø Crowns (stems emerge from this central body that persists underground; this serves as a vegetative propagule that can be harvested)
Ø Seed (4)
Collection restrictions or guidelines
Ø Collect
corms after plant has senesced for the season
Ø Collect
seeds from spadix in early fall (4)
Seed germination (needs
dormancy breaking?)
Ø Cold
stratification (4)
Seed life (can be stored,
short shelf-life, long shelf-life)
Ø Best
if planted immediately after collection
Recommended seed storage conditions
Ø Best
if planted immediately after collection
Propagation recommendations (plant seeds, vegetative parts, cuttings, etc.)
Ø Establish
crowns in containers, and divide to vegetatively
propagate
Ø Plant
seeds in containers mid-winter and keep in coldframe
(4)
Soil or medium requirements (inoculum necessary?)
Ø Organic
soil with high water holding capacity (4)
Installation form (form, potential for successful outcomes, cost)
Ø Established
potted crowns
Ø Established
potted seeds
Ø Direct
seeding
Recommended planting density
Ø 36-48 in. (90-120 cm) (4)
Care requirements after installed (water weekly, water once etc.)
Ø Soil
must be kept consistently moist, do not allow soil to dry out (4)
Sources cited
1.
Guard, B. Jennifer. Wetland Plants of
2.
Pojar,
Jim and Andy MacKinnon. Plants of the
3.
USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database,
Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov).
National Plant Data Center,
4.
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/54099. Dave’s
Garden, Inc. 2003.
Data compiled by:
Crystal Elliot,