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Symplocarpus foetidus

(L.) Salisb. ex Nutt.

Skunk-cabbage

G5Secure Found in 32 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.145721
Element CodePMARA0J010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderArales
FamilyAraceae
GenusSymplocarpus
Other Common Names
Chou puant (FR) Eastern Skunk Cabbage (EN) skunk-cabbage (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-01-13
Change Date1984-03-16
Edition Date2025-01-13
Edition AuthorsN. Ventrella (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Symplocarpus foetidus is a perennial monocot occurring in a variety of wetland habitats of eastern North America from Ontario east to Nova Scotia, Canada south to North Carolina, west to Tennessee, and north to Minnesota in the United States. There are over 4,000 occurrences estimated rangewide, which are threatened by habitat loss, livestock grazing, pollution, succession, and likely other threats in some places. Little is known about threats and trends, but with a large range extent, high number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, Symplocarpus foetidus is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Symplocarpus foetidus occurs in eastern North America from Ontario east to Nova Scotia, Canada south to North Carolina, west to Tennessee, and north to Minnesota in the United States (FNA 2000). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, SEINet 2025).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 4,000 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Destruction of wetland habitats is a low-level threat to this species (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002). Additional threats are not widely documented but include livestock grazing, pollution, succession, and likely other threats in some places, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for Symplocarpus foetidus (NatureServe 2025).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Symplocarpus foetidus occurs in bogs, fens, floodplains, marshes, meadows, springs, swamps, woodlands, and along the margins of streams and ponds from 0-777 m in elevation (Les 2020). It occurs most often in shaded areas with seasonal water, preferring acidic, low-conductivity soils, but can also be found in richer environments like calcareous fens.

Reproduction

After pollination, fruits develop, ripen by summer, and disperse via water (flooding) or by frugivorous mammals (Les 2020).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/Woodland
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
New BrunswickS3Yes
QuebecS4Yes
Nova ScotiaS3Yes
OntarioS5Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MassachusettsSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
New JerseyS5Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
VermontS4Yes
North CarolinaS3Yes
MaineSNRYes
DelawareS5Yes
OhioSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
New YorkS5Yes
MichiganSNRYes
IllinoisS3Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
IowaS3Yes
MarylandSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
District of ColumbiaS5Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
TennesseeS1Yes
IndianaS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureUnknownUnknownUnknown
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingUnknownUnknownUnknown
2.3.4 - Scale unknown/unrecordedUnknownUnknownUnknown
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.1.2 - Suppression in fire frequency/intensityUnknownUnknownUnknown
9 - PollutionUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (32)
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
Pennsylvania (2)
AreaForestAcres
Allegheny FrontAllegheny National Forest7,430
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
Tennessee (2)
AreaForestAcres
Big Laurel Branch AdditionCherokee National Forest5,577
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Virginia (16)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Brush Mountain EastJefferson National Forest4,916
JerkemtightGeorge Washington National Forest16,687
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Little Walker MountainJefferson National Forest9,818
Mountain Lake Addition CJefferson National Forest494
Mt. PleasantGeorge Washington National Forest8,933
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Oliver MountainGeorge Washington National Forest13,090
Peters Mountain Addition BJefferson National Forest2,909
Shawvers Run AdditionJefferson National Forest1,927
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
Three RidgesGeorge Washington National Forest4,745
West Virginia (11)
AreaForestAcres
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaMonongahela National Forest785
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
Glady ForkMonongahela National Forest3,239
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
Mottesheard (WV)Jefferson National Forest3,964
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
Spice RunMonongahela National Forest6,251
Turkey MountainMonongahela National Forest6,421
References (8)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2000. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 22. Magnoliophyta: Alismatidae, Arecidae, Commelinidae (in part), and Zingiberidae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiii + 352 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  3. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Les, D. 2020. Aquatic Monocotyledons of North America: Ecology, Life History, and Systematics. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 568 pp.
  6. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).