How do you know spring is near in Minnesota? This stinky plant blooms - and kicks out heat

With an off-putting scent and maroon flower buds that blend in with fall's leaf litter, skunk cabbage is not on the radar of many Minnesota hikers.

The plant blooms early and looks bizarre enough to fit in with Addams Family home décor.

But the coolest part? Skunk cabbages actually pump out warmth.

You read that right: They are one of just a few plants capable of thermogenesis, which is the power to generate heat.

Inside the flower's spathe — a conical sheath protecting an egg-shaped spadix covered with tiny blooms — the temperature can rise at least 30 degrees warmer than the outdoors. That helps skunk cabbage push through any lingering snow on the ground.

It also makes skunk cabbage one of the first plants to bloom, sometimes appearing as early as February during warm winters and as late as April during cold ones.

This year, the plant's blooms began showing up the first week of March in Minnesota. They can be found in moist areas, such as Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden's marsh and Minnehaha Falls Regional Park in Minneapolis, in state parks along the St. Croix River, and other areas near swamps, springs and bogs.

Besides the promise of warmth inside the spathe, skunk cabbage plants also have a chemical called cadaverine that is the same substance found in decaying animal matter. Its Latin name, foetidus, means putrid or stink. That smell attracts flies and gnats known to feed on carrion, as well as other insects, which pollinate the skunk cabbage.

Once the weather warms, the plant will send up its large green leaves. These smell pungent and skunky when crushed — yet another reason for its odiferous name.

Lisa Meyers McClintick has freelanced for the Minnesota Star Tribune since 2001 and volunteers as a Minnesota Master Naturalist.