Skunk cabbage
Unfortunately the plant health authorities have fairly recently declared L. americanum and L. camtschatsensis (the yellow and white skunk cabbages) as ‘invasive species’ which we are now banned from offering for sale on our website. The yellow skunk comes from N America and the white skunk from NE Asia.
Apparently they are clogging up our rivers with their self-sown seeds which float downstream. You may very well think this is an exaggerated nonsense particularly as far as the white skunk is concerned? We, of course, cannot comment.
Do not worry if you have these growing happily in your bog or beside your pond! Defra, and its plant health subsidiary, have not yet got to the point of demanding entry to your garden to destroy your plants with their lovely huge spoon shaped (spathe) flowers each of which can be 12-18in tall. Big Brother may one day decide differently!
The problem is that we have had to remove them from our website (or else!) but they still grow happily beside the Burncoose pond. No further comment is necessary or appropriate.
