The Skunk Cabbage Patch.

On approaching Barloch Moor (near the Preaching Braes) in Milngavie, a gentle waft of, well, something, tantalizes your nostrils. Pungent? Repugnant? Or delightfully fragrant according to one local resident. The source of the aroma finally reveals itself as an astonishing vista of a ‘Star Trek’ planet or a scene from ‘The Day of the Triffids’. Amazed? Of course, you’ve just stumbled upon something quite unique to Milngavie – The Skunk Cabbage Patch.
Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) is actually indigenous to the Pacific North West of America. What it’s doing here I don’t know, but it certainly likes it, growing profusely in this particular niche. The yellow flowers herald the arrival of spring, sheltering within a profusion of enormous bright green leaves, and the permeating odour attracts pollinating insects, as well as inquisitive humans. Apparently it’s a favourite food for bears, who enjoy it as a laxative after hibernation (understandable). Unfortunately however, it doesn’t proliferate as far as Bearsden, limiting itself to the sides of the Tannoch Burn only as far as Mugdock Road, never to appear again. How does it survive our weather? Would you believe? It produces its own heat, melting the snow around it during the winter ensuring its survival. Are we perhaps missing a trick here? Shouldn’t we surround our houses (in and out) with this ingenious plant? Facilitating a cosy winter – We’d soon get used to the smell!!!