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Lysichiton americanus

Lysichiton americanus: Flower
Photo by Derrick Ditchburn. High resolution version

Common name:	Yellow Skunk Cabbage	Family:	Araceae
Author:	Hult.& St.John	Botanical references:	71, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	The plant is rich in calcium oxylate, this is toxic and if consumed makes the mouth and digestive tract feel as though hundreds of needles are being stuck into it. However, calcium oxylate is easily destroyed by thoroughly cooking or drying the plant[172].
Range:	Western N. America. Sometimes naturalized in Britain.
Habitat:	Open swamps and wet woods near the coast[71], rarely flowering if in the shade[99].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	L. americanum[,E,G,HPIC] L. camtschatcensis[B,G] L. camtschatcensis auct. non[P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	American Skunkcabbage [P], Western Skunkcabbage [E], Yellow-skunk-cabbage [B],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	canus = grayed due to hairs
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Arales. Arum family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Canada(Kwakiutl) Us(Makah)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1m by 0.75m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 6. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen from June to July. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires wet soil and can grow in water.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Pond, Bog Garden, Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Ground Cover.

Edible Uses

Leaves Root.

Young shoots - these must be thoroughly cooked otherwise they are poisonous[172]. The native North American Indian tribes would cook them in several changes of water, the end result being a tasteless mush[172].
The leaves can be dried then powdered and used as a thickening agent[256].
Older leaves have been used to wrap up food that was being baked. The leaves would impart a pleasant flavouring to the food[257].
Young flower stalks - cooked[256]. Only used when there was a shortage of other foods, the stalks must be thoroughly cooked or else they are poisonous[256]. It is said that no more than three stalks should be consumed at one meal[257].
Root - cooked. It must be thoroughly cooked or dried before use, otherwise it is poisonous[61, 105, 118, 207]. Rich in starch, a flour can be made from the dried and ground root[212]. The root has a hot flavour, somewhat like ginger[256]. The root is best harvested in the autumn[256].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antispasmodic Blood purifier Poultice Styptic.

Antispasmodic, styptic[61, 172].
Yellow skunk cabbage was employed medicinally by several native North American Indian tribes who used it mainly as a poultice to treat a variety of complaints[257]. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism. Caution is advised, especially if using the plant internally, see the notes above on toxicity.
A poultice of roots has been applied to swellings, sores, boils, burns and rheumatic joints[257].
A poultice of the heated blossoms has been applied to rheumatic joints[257].
A poultice of the leaves has been applied to scrofulous sores, burns, cuts, swellings and chest pains[257]. Heated leaves have been applied tot he body in order to draw out splinters and thorns[257]. The leaves have also been used as a general tonic in a herbal sweat bath[257].
The raw root has been chewed by women in order to secure an abortion[257]. A decoction of the root has been drunk as a blood purifier[257].

Other Uses

Containers Ground cover Lining Waxed paper.

The leaves are large and water repellent, they can be used as a 'waxed paper' and also for lining fruit baskets etc and for wrapping food in for baking[99, 256]. They were also folded and used as containers for collecting berries, as drinking cups and as a covering or mat for food that was being dried[257].
The plants have very large leaves and form a slowly spreading clump. They can be grown as a ground cover, spaced about 1 metre apart each way[208].

Cultivation details

Requires a wet or damp humus-rich soil in full sun or semi-shade[200]. Plants often do not flower when grown in the shade[99]. Grows well by water or in the bog garden[1]. Succeeds in shallow water and also in still or flowing water[188].
Hardy to at least -15° c[200].
Young plants require protection from slugs[187].
Plants are slow to establish at first, taking some years, but can then become naturalized and often self-sow[200]. The flowers have an unpleasant aroma[187] which is rather like a combination of skunk, carrion and garlic[245]. This smell attracts flies and midges in great numbers to pollinate the flowers and so spiders tend to like making their webs in the plant so they can catch lots of food[245].
Hybridizes with L. camtschatcense[200].

Propagation

The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in pots in a cold frame[134]. Keep very moist, preferably by emmersing the pot in 2 -3 cm of water[200]. Germination is usually good, taking place within 1 - 2 months at 15° c[134]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in trays of water in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in the middle of autumn or mid to late winter, but no later than this because the plant will be coming into growth.

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers have an unpleasant aroma, somewhat like a combination of skunk, carrion and garlic[245]..

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Lysichiton americanum (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

References for lysichiton americanum (a possible synonym).

[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures

References for the family Araceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[71] Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959
An excellent flora but no pictures. Not for the casual reader.

[99] Turner. N. J. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum 1979 ISBN 0-7718-8117-7
Excellent and readable guide.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[118] Gunther. E. Ethnobotany of Western Washington. University of Washington Press 1981 ISBN 0-295-95258-X
A small book, it is a good guide to useful plants in Western N. America.

[134] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.

[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[207] Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6
A nice read, lots of information on plant uses.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[212] Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers The Riverside Press 1963 ISBN 63-7093
Excellent little pocket guide to the area, covering 590 species and often giving details of their uses.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[256] Turner. N. J. Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples UBC Press. Vancouver. 1995 ISBN 0-7748-0533-1
Excellent little handbook about the native food plants of Western Canada. Good descriptions of the plants and their uses with colour photos of most plants.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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