March 15, 2009 - Warm Wildflowers

Welcome to the Nature Notebook.

Searching for the first wildflower of the year in March when the ground is still frozen and possible snow blanketing our forests seems like a fruitless effort. But walk along a woodland stream or through a lowland area and you just might discover skunk cabbage pushing its way toward the sun. This early wildflower traps sunlight that penetrates the snow cover and uses stored carbohydrates from last year for energy. It also relies on a remarkable ability to aid in its pollination. Biologist Roger Knutson found that skunk cabbage flowers produce heat during a 12-14 day period. They maintain a temperature on average about 36°F above the outside air temperature. These maroon to purple flowers attract flies, beetles and early bees to a warm, sheltered spot for pollination making them the first wildflowers of the season.

This is PPL's naturalist, Jon Beam, with the Nature Notebook for WVIA.