Skunk Cabbage Flower

I found this skunk cabbage flower in Giles County, Virginia, during mid March, 2006. At first, it was difficult to see the patch of red "hoods" sticking up from the brush, but as I got closer, I suddenly saw dozens of these strange flowers in bloom. The red and yellow mottled pattern blends well with the dried up leaves from the previous year, making it hard to see them from a distance. The skunk cabbage patch was growing in "squishy" wet soil not too far from a stream. There were lots of branches of multiflora rose, which made moving around the area rather difficult.