A description text about the skunk cabbage, a delightfully smelly sign of spring!
When I started tracking phenology about ten years ago, some of my students didn't know what skunk cabbage was. This isn't surprising--it's not a plant that most people choose to have in their yards! However, skunk cabbage is an important wetland plant of the Northeast, and the flowers are a very special early sign of spring. I wrote this text to teach students about skunk cabbage. My efforts were rewarded, as the weekend after I taught using the text, a student came back and told me that she and her mom had found blooming skunk cabbage in a nearby park!
To get the formatted article and activities, click here: Description Texts for Teaching Text Structure
Reading level: Fifth grade, lexile 860
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Picture spring flowers. You probably imagine yellow daffodils, red tulips, and purple violets. Now breathe deeply. Ah, the sweet smell of—skunk?
It’s true. One of the earliest spring flowers has a strong smell that some people say is just like the scent of a skunk. Not surprisingly, this flower has the name of skunk cabbage.
First Flower
In many parts of North America, the skunk cabbage is the first flower of spring. This first flower is pretty amazing. Due to a chemical reaction, the skunk cabbage can melt the snow around it. The temperature around a skunk cabbage flower might be as much as 30 degrees warmer than the surrounding air.
The flower of a skunk cabbage is also unusual. Instead of having a center and petals, it is made up of two parts. A modified leaf called a spathe wraps around the flower like a hood. This makes a warm little “room” for the flower head, called a spadix. The yellow flower head is packed with small yellow flowers.
Why does the flower have such a strong smell? Flowers have scents to attract insect pollinators. The skunk cabbage is no exception. The flower’s odor attracts the season’s first insects, like gnats, bees, and flies. These insects pollinate the flowers so that the skunk cabbage can make seeds.
Wet Woodlands
This plant likes places that are wet and shady. Skunk cabbage is often found near streams and vernal pools. The roots of the skunk cabbage have an amazing ability to burrow deep into the moist mud. As they grow, the roots pull the plant deeper and deeper. Older plants have such long roots that it’s almost impossible to dig them up.
Lush Leaves
The red and yellow flowers of the skunk cabbage don’t last long. After about two weeks, they shrivel up. At about the same time, the leaves of the skunk cabbage start to poke through the wet soil. The lush green leaves are beautiful to look at, but be careful—they have the same strong smell as the skunk cabbage flower.
Seeing a skunk cabbage flower is one of the most magical moments of early spring. Even though it has a smelly name and doesn’t look like everyone’s ideal spring flower, the skunk cabbage is a welcome sign of spring.
by Emily Kissner
©2024. Permission granted for single classroom use. This text may not be resold or included in any products offered for sale.
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