Discover skunk cabbage at Green Leaf Park

Psst – come closer. I have a confidence to share. You remember the legendary English (fictional) detective Sherlock Holmes? He frequently enlisted the aid of the “Baker Street Irregulars,” a gang of savvy street kids who worked as Holmes’ eyes and ears on the chaotic 19th-century London streets.

Well, my ever-vigilant sources, called the Garden Gate Garden Gnomes (G-4 for short), have informed yours truly that rumors out of the Medina County wetlands community are that a hot plant is starting to grow right now, and its alias is “polecat weed.”

We must do a little snooping to get our hands on some of that polecat weed. But where to start, you ask? Elementary, my dear reader. The Medina County Park District invites all ages on Friday, Feb. 27, at 1 p.m. at Green Leaf Park to go on a trek of discovery for the earliest blooming wildflower in Ohio – skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus, Latin for “bad smelling”).

Here are the facts we’ve unearthed in the swamp cabbage case, nature’s first sign of spring:

Native to eastern North America, it thrives in challenging wet habitats and soggy environments. It blooms from February to April. Several puzzling phenomena surround the ancient swamp cabbage – it can mysteriously generate its own heat, called thermogenesis, allowing it to grow and bloom through freezing snow and ice. The heat helps emit the odor of decaying organic matter, luring pollinators such as beetles and flies, and newly awakened black bears seeking an early meal, thus ensuring the plant’s reproduction.

Another unusual clue about skunk cabbage is that it blooms before the leaves appear. It is a prehistoric wetlands plant, very primitive, growing from thick rhizomes and having both male and female reproductive organs. The colorful flower is encased in a shell-like structure called a spathe. Emerging after the blooms are bright green leaves, broad and fleshy, growing up to 3 feet long.

It is not a cabbage but a member of the arum family, related to Amorphophallus titanum, the 10-foot-tall, putrid-smelling corpse flower. As the plant ages, its roots thicken into what are called constrictive roots, pulling the plant deeper into the mud and making it nearly impossible to dig up.

So, you amateur sleuths, don your beloved deerstalker hat and head to Green Leaf Park – hurry, the game is afoot.

Spring solution

With spring cleaning chores and Easter approaching, don’t neglect your indoor houseplants. Give them some TLC by cleaning their leaves so they can breathe. Here are some homemade leaf-shine concoctions to make and use:

White vinegar – Mix equal parts vinegar and water. Use a spray bottle to spritz or gently wipe with a soft cloth.

Lemon juice – Squeeze 1/2 lemon and add 2 cups of water to dilute. Spray or wipe the mixture on leaves with a soft cloth.

Banana peels – Natural oils and minerals help polish leaves. Rub the inside of the peel on leaves, then wipe off excess.

Milk – Lactic acid breaks down dirt while fats leave a soft sheen. Mix equal parts milk and water and wipe with a soft cloth.

Neem oil – A natural organic insecticide and fungicide. Mix with mild soap and water. Spray or wipe on leaves.

Clean leaves monthly, including the undersides, and test mixtures on lower leaves first.

In closing the Garden Gate today – I was shocked when I found out my toaster was not waterproof.

Until next time – peace.