american skunk cabbage

[Mr List]

american skunk cabbage

lysichiton americanus


anybody have this, or had it before?

i like the idea of the big leaves and i am curious about how it performs.

i would be putting it by a banana and the gunnera killipiana so it would get well watered but won't be in boggy ground.

[Arlon Tishmarsh]

american skunk cabbage

lysichiton americanus


anybody have this, or had it before?

No but i like the look of it.

[Mr List]

all the pictures in our uk run net places seem to make it look about a foot tall but say it reaches up to three.

but the pictures from america are like this:

skunk%20cabbage%201.jpg (54.32 KiB) Viewed 1601 times

[Yorkshire Kris]

There are loads of these at Newby Hall which is well worth a visit in spring Mr List.

[Mr List]

bit out of the range for me, you might have to go and take photos for me

[The Codfather]

out of range....its about 30 mins from you.

[Mr List]

not on foot

[jungle jas]

I am unable to grow this successfully in my garden, but then I am on sand! Tried digging a pit and lining it with a plastic sheet to make a little bog but still no good. Only 150mm leaves even in this wet summer Any one coming this way I will dig it up and give it to them if you want to give it a try.

[redsquirrel]

do you smoke it?

[simon]

I toyed with the idea of getting it but decided against it for the reason Jas has said. I think it likes to be kept very wet. Would be good as a marginal but I don't have a pond.

There are generally two species available; L. americanus and L. camtschatcensis. I don't know if one tollerates drier soil than the other. That might be worth looking into.

[Saslowi]

Have had it growing as a marginal/bog plant for about 15 years. It is completely hardy here, gets to about 2 ft (60 cm) tall, flowers regularly and seeds itself freely. Started with one so it is self fertile.

[Troppoz]

flowers regularly and seeds itself freely. Started with one so it is self fertile.

So much so that its become naturalised in boggy parts of Britain and Ireland. Is anyone growing the other species that comes from northern Asia?

[billdango]

Loads of them in moist damp gulleys on the outskirts of Southampton.

There is a big colony at the rear of Haskins garden center in some thick wet marshland but as building work has just started there they may already be gone.

The leaves of these reach a good 3 feet in length but I don't know what species they are.

The whole area is now fenced off so i can no longer check on this colony.

rgds billdango

[Mr List]

any idea how long the bad smell from the flowers lasts?

[Leigh]

I have the white flower version growing as an marginal which does not have the smell and the white flowers stand out more in shade, anyway as the flowers come up first in early April here and has gone over in a few weeks, followed by the leaves I don't think your be bothered by any smell from the yellow one