Bloom alert: Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) is blooming in McDonald Woods. Managing ecologist Heather Decker shares how this #nativeplant to the Chicago region got its name, and what makes it so unique. | Chicago Botanic Garden

With their bright yellow "hoods" (which are modified leaves, not part of the flower itself) skunk cabbage has no trouble standing out. One of the first plants to emerge in the spring, they are a welcome sign of better weather to come. NPS Video. Description: Plants with a single stalked flower surrounded by a large hood-like bright yellow leaf grow out of a small marshy creek bed. -kl | Mount Rainier National Park

The hottest native plant in McDonald Woods is now in bloom! Managing ecologist, Matt Evans, shares some interesting facts about skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), one of the first spring blooms to see along the trails. | Chicago Botanic Garden