Question: A friend sent this photo to me asking for help identifying the flowering plants alongside the emerging skunk cabbage. They …
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Question
A friend sent this photo to me asking for help identifying the flowering plants alongside the emerging skunk cabbage. They were growing in a wet area along with with skunk cabbage and cattails at Arnold Arboretum, in what she said was a “wild” area. I’m speculating that they could be members of the Orobanchaceae family, but I really don’t know. Any help would be most appreciated! Thanks! (Sorry for the upside down photo!)
Answer
Dear margaretcurtin, good morning. You have photographed Petasites hybridus (butterbur sweet-coltsfoot). This is a non-native species that is frequently planted for ornament that occasionally escapes cultivation. The leaves will appear after the flowers.
