**Description:** A unique, low-growing plant famous for its pungent, skunk-like odor and its ability to generate its own heat.
**Size:** Leaves can grow up to 2 feet long; the flower hood is 4–6 inches tall.
**Behavior:** The plant is "thermogenic," meaning it can melt through snow and ice by raising its temperature up to 30°F above the surrounding air.
**Identification:** Look for the mottled purple-and-green "hood" (spathe). The foul smell attracts early-emerging flies for pollination.
**Habitat:** Swampy, spring-fed wetlands; the very first plant to bloom in spring.