Awaiting a sign
Skunk cabbage, Bell Cedar
The warmth and the green-brown of a climate change pre-Christmas continue to haunt our ridge, and in the wetter area of a nearby preserve, a Skunk Cabbage seems to have gotten the wrong message. These hardy plants, of course, are well know for their ability to make their own heat and regulate the temperature inside each hooded blossom—so much so that Skunk Cabbage flowers can melt snow and use the warmth they create to attract early pollinators. But the furnaces usually don't start until March. If I were reading this plant as a sign, I'd hazard a guess that this one reckons we'll be skipping winter entirely. I'd also be guessing that this Skunk Cabbage has made the wrong prediction and had better be ready to tone down any great expectations.