Late January marks the earliest stirrings of skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) in Pacific Northwest wetlands and swamps. This remarkable plant generates its own heat through thermogenesis, warming its tissues 15-35°F above ambient temperature to melt through snow and ice. The swelling yellow spathes (modified leaves) prepare to emerge, with tight burgundy buds ready to pierce through the cold soil. Look for these early signs along stream edges, in forested swamps, and throughout low-elevation wetlands from southwest British Columbia through Oregon. The plant's metabolic heat also helps volatilize its distinctive skunky scent, which attracts early-season pollinators like flies and beetles.

Late January continues reliance on winter storage crops—root vegetables (beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips), hardy greens (kale, chard), cruciferous vegetables (Brussels sprouts, cauliflower), and storage alliums (garlic, leeks, onions). Winter squash and apples remain plentiful, perfect for hearty winter cooking.

Search low-elevation wetlands for early skunk cabbage stirrings—look for swelling yellow spathes and melted snow patches around emerging plants. Explore wetland trails at Tiger Mountain, Cougar Mountain, or stream edges throughout the Puget Sound lowlands and Willamette Valley where these heat-generating plants begin their remarkable emergence.