Description of Lysichiton camtschatcensis (Asian Skunk Cabbage)

Lysichiton camtschatcensis is Asian skunk cabbage, grown for huge leaves and early spring white spathes. It’s a plant for people who want bold foliage and can give it constant moisture and plenty of room.

Appearance

In early spring it produces white hooded spathes, then large green leaves expand through spring and summer. A mature plant can easily take up a big footprint, with leaves that can reach well over 60cm long and a clump that becomes substantial over time.

Care Guide

It likes cold, wet ground and it hates drying out. It also dislikes being moved once established.

• Sun: Part shade is ideal. Full sun can work if soil stays wet and cool.
• Soil: Deep, rich, moisture-holding soil.
• Water: Keep constantly wet. This is not a plant for a bog that dries on top.
• Mulch: Mulch with leaf mould to keep the crown cool.
• Moving: Avoid moving it. Plant it where it can stay for years.

If the site is right, it becomes a long-term feature. If the site is too dry, it never looks happy.

Suitability for Bog Garden

This suits larger bog gardens with a deep, permanently wet zone. It’s brilliant as a back-of-bed focal plant or a screen near a pond edge.

Give it space and keep smaller, delicate plants away from its root zone, as it will shade them once it grows.

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