Scientific Name:
Lysichiton americanus
Pronunciation:
liss-ih-KYE-tun uh-mare-ih-KAY-nus
Common Name:
yellow skunk cabbage, swamp lantern
Family Name:
Araceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Grows from rhizomes in wet areas; leaves basal, most elliptic to oblong, 0.3-1.4m long x 30-80cm wide (largest of any native plant in region); spadix (7-12cm long) contained within a large, bright yellow or yellowish green spathe.
Habit:
Spreading
Form:
Vase
Texture:
Coarse
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
1.0 - 1.5m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
B.C. east of Cascades, B.C. west of Cascades, U.S. - northwest, U.S. - southwest
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Humus rich
Landscape Uses:
Native planting, Wetland - bogs
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Basal
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Elliptic, Oblong, Obovate, Ovate
Apices:
Cuspidate, Obtuse, Rounded
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Spadix (& spathe)
Flower Morphology:
Monoecious plant
Number Of Petals:
0
Colour (petals):
Showy, Yellow
Flower Scent:
Musky
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr
Fruit Type:
Berry (true)
Fruit Colour:
Green-yellow
Fruiting Time:
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant
Bark or Stem Colour:
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes
Pest Susceptibility:
Slugs or snails (Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
