Practical
Plants

Lysichiton americanus

Yellow Skunk Cabbage

a perennial member of the Lysichiton genus in the family Araceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Araceae
Life cycle
perennial
Growth rate
slow
Height
1 m
Spread
0.75 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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[5].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young shoots - these must be thoroughly cooked otherwise they are poisonous[5]. The native North American Indian tribes would cook them in several changes of water, the end result being a tasteless mush[5]. The leaves can be dried then powdered and used as a thickening agent[13]. Older leaves have been used to wrap up food that was being baked. The leaves would impart a pleasant flavouring to the food[14]. Young flower stalks - cooked[13]. Only used when there was a shortage of other foods, the stalks must be thoroughly cooked or else they are poisonous[13]. It is said that no more than three stalks should be consumed at one meal[14]. Root - cooked. It must be thoroughly cooked or dried before use, otherwise it is poisonous[15][2][3][9]. Rich in starch, a flour can be made from the dried and ground root[11]. The root has a hot flavour, somewhat like ginger[13]. The root is best harvested in the autumn[13].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Antispasmodic, styptic[15][5]. 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[14]. 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[14]. A poultice of the heated blossoms has been applied to rheumatic joints[14]. A poultice of the leaves has been applied to scrofulous sores, burns, cuts, swellings and chest pains[14]. Heated leaves have been applied tot he body in order to draw out splinters and thorns[14]. The leaves have also been used as a general tonic in a herbal sweat bath[14]. The raw root has been chewed by women in order to secure an abortion[14]. A decoction of the root has been drunk as a blood purifier[14].

Product or use
Antispasmodic
Product or use
Blood purifier
Product or use
Poultice
Product or use
Styptic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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[17][13]. 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[14]. 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[10].

Product or use
Containers
Product or use
Lining
Product or use
Waxed paper

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Soil surface

Environment

Range
Western N. America. Sometimes naturalized in Britain.
Habitat
Open swamps and wet woods near the coast[16], rarely flowering if in the shade[17].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
aquatic
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in pots in a cold frame[4]. Keep very moist, preferably by emmersing the pot in 2 -3 cm of water[8]. Germination is usually good, taking place within 1 - 2 months at 15°c[4]. 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.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a wet or damp humus-rich soil in full sun or semi-shade[8]. Plants often do not flower when grown in the shade[17]. Grows well by water or in the bog garden[1]. Succeeds in shallow water and also in still or flowing water[7]. Hardy to at least -15°c[8]. Young plants require protection from slugs[6]. Plants are slow to establish at first, taking some years, but can then become naturalized and often self-sow[8]. The flowers have an unpleasant aroma[6] which is rather like a combination of skunk, carrion and garlic[12]. 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[12]. Hybridizes with L. camtschatcense[8].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  3. Gunther. E. Ethnobotany of Western Washington. University of Washington Press 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-295-95258-X

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  4. Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  5. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  6. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

    ↩1↩2

  7. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

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  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  9. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

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  10. Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-460-12609-1

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  11. Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers The Riverside Press 1963-00-00 ISBN 63-7093

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  12. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩1↩2

  13. Turner. N. J. Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples UBC Press. Vancouver. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7748-0533-1

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  14. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9↩10↩11

  15. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

  16. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

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  17. Turner. N. J. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-7718-8117-7

    ↩1↩2↩3

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