skunk cabbage

noun

|Updated on: 1 May 2018

Definition of skunk cabbage

: any of several early-blooming perennial herbs of the arum family that occur in shaded, wet to swampy areas and have a fetid odor suggestive of a skunk:

a : one (Symplocarpus foetidus) of eastern North America and eastern Asia that has a hoodlike, brownish-purple spathe

b : one (Lysichiton americanus synonym L. americanum) chiefly of the Pacific coast region of North America that has a large yellow spathe

c : one (Lysichiton camtschatcensis synonym L. camtschatcense) of eastern Asia that has a large white spathe

See skunk cabbage defined for English-language learners

See skunk cabbage defined for kids

Recent Examples of skunk cabbage from the Web

The stakes marking the pipeline path run alongside the creek — at one point partway down a steep bank over the water — and through wetland areas filled with skunk cabbage.

— gregory s. schneider, The Seattle Times, "Mother, daughter perch in trees to block Virginia pipeline," 22 Apr. 2018
The stakes marking the pipeline path run alongside the creek - at one point partway down a steep bank over the water - and through wetland areas filled with dark green skunk cabbage.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Perched on a platform high in a tree, a 61-year-old Virginia woman fights a gas pipeline," 21 Apr. 2018
The stakes marking the pipeline path run alongside the creek — at one point partway down a steep bank over the water — and through wetland areas filled with dark green skunk cabbage.

— gregory s. schneider, Washington Post, "Perched on a platform high in a tree, a 61-year-old woman fights a gas pipeline," 21 Apr. 2018
Visitors will look for spring leeks, toothwort, Jack in the Pulpit, May apples and skunk cabbage.

— paige fumo fox, Daily Southtown, "Spring is prime time to spy wildflowers on nature walks," 10 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'skunk cabbage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.