Skunk cabbage, the earliest flower to bloom in Massachusetts, can seem in marshy wooded areas as early as February. It will get its title from the skunk-like odor launched when any a part of the plant is damaged or broken.
The plant has the bizarre capability to extend its metabolism to supply appreciable warmth (55 to 95 levels F.), permitting it to develop via frozen floor. This self-generated heat promotes early pollination, protects the plant from frost and offers a haven for early-season bugs.
In Swampscott, yow will discover skunk cabbage rising in Harold King city forest alongside the Ridge Trail the place it skirts the Forest River wetlands. But you’ll have to go quickly, because the vegetation are ephemeral and can quickly go dormant till subsequent spring.
—The Swampscott Conservancy is on the lookout for prime quality photographs that seize Swampscott’s pure magnificence – surroundings, vegetation and animals. Email your photographs to swampscottconservancy@gmail.com.
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