https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/206895047
This specimen is one that I have been waiting to upload on iNaturalist. Skunk Cabbage is a quintessential marker of spring time in Southeast Alaska. When the first hint of yellow begins to emerge through the marsh, muskeg, or forest floor, I have found that my social media feed is often filled with sightings of Skunk Cabbage buds. I have often wondered if Skunk Cabbage is even related to the cabbage that can be found in the grocery store, and, as it turns out, it is actually a relative to the taro plant—both of which are in the Arum family of plants (Forest Service National Website). Growing up, I heard stories of people eating Skunk Cabbage (either out of necessity or by choice) and having extreme stomach pains and becoming ill—often to the point of needing medical intervention. According to the United States Forest Services’ article titled Yellow Skunk Cabbage, the plant itself is actually edible, however, the plant contains calcium oxalate which can cause the consumer to have a “stinging, burning sensation in the mouth when chewed raw” (Forest Service National Website). The abovementioned article also notes that Indigenous peoples learned to prepare the roots by roasting and drying them so that they be able to be used and alleviate the ill-effects that the plant may have. As a child, I can remember having “Skunk Cabbage fights” with my brother that often resulted in us being covered in the juice that Skunk Cabbage leaves ooze. Said fights often resulted in tears from one of us and our mom making us shower and put on clean clothes that did not smell like a skunk.
Works Cited
“Yellow Skunk Cabbage.” Forest Service National Website, Idaho Panhandle National Forests - Learning Center, www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ipnf/learning/?cid=fsm9_019161#:~:text=Edible%20and%20medicinal%20value%3A%20The,able%20to%20use%20this%20plant. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.
Comentarios
Skunk Cabbage battles, huh? That's classic! It's like one of those wacky childhood memories that seem to come straight out of a movie about growing up wild in Alaska. It's funny how Skunk Cabbage is such a staple of spring there, kind of marking the change of seasons. I didn't know it was related to taro, though. Guess you learn something new every day!
I've also heard those stories about people eating it and getting sick. Kinda makes you wonder who was the first to figure out the right way to cook it to dodge that burning mouth ordeal, right? It's pretty cool how Indigenous knowledge is so in-depth about living off the land, even using stuff that could otherwise send you running for a doc.
But honestly , I can only imagine the smell after one of those Skunk Cabbage fights... and the look on your mom's face. Definitely a 'straight to the shower' situation. Those must have been some epic battles!
Nice, I have never had a skunk cabbage sword fight, but I can certainly imagine it being fun as a kid. I can always smell them before I can see them and always thought that bears and porcupines were the only things to eat them. I never would have considered the plant to be edible for humans, but it makes sense that preparation has to do with making it edible first given the smell they emit. According to your cited article it uses the smell to draw flies for pollination, rather than using bees as with most other flowering plants. That also helps to explain part of why they smell that way.
Hi Riz,
Yes! It was certainly a thing growing up here in Alaska. Not sure if it was just an "us" thing, maybe someone can comment on this post with a similar experience, but it was a peak childhood memory for me. My mom’s face was exactly as you picture it. She was probably trying to hold in laughter in an effort to discourage the fights. I also had no clue that it was related to taro. I know that taro roots are the part of the species that actually gets consumed, so I wonder if Skunk Cabbage roots look similar in appearance. Maybe they even have that purple-ish color that taro roots have.
Elizabeth
Hi Daniel,
I also found that portion of the article to be super interesting! It made me wonder what decides what pees pollinate versus flies--super cool to think about! I know someone who swears by cooking salmon in a camp fire wrapped in the Skunk Cabbage leaves. They claim that it retains the moisture of the fish really well. The downside to this is that the smell of the fish being cooked is absolutely horrific. If you can imagine warm steamy Skunk Cabbage fish, I can assure that what you're imagining is exactly as bad as it smells. And, no, I did not taste it because I was too scared by the smell!
Elizabeth
Your parenthetical citation doesn't correctly connect to the entry in the Works Cited.
Hi Elizabeth,
Some of the smelliest things have the best flavors, you should try it if offered next time.
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