March 29 Skunk Cabbage

I grew up with skunk cabbage. It was always nearby in a boggy area. Connecticut has many boggy areas. We'd have fun ripping it up and smelling it. However, I never paid attention to its bloom. In early spring, it has a blossom, often when snow is on the ground.

The blossom looks like a rattle inside a shell. The shell is a spathe like a jack in the pulpit has. This is a mottled purple spathe and an equally colorful blossom inside. 

The plant generates heat which puts it in a category of plants with thermogenesis capability. Often, snow around the plant has melted due to the heat it generates. Carrion feeding insects are attracted to the blossom and the heated spathe which must be entered to get to the blossom.