Also called swamp lantern, is a plant found in swamps and wet woods, along streams and in other wet areas of the Pacific Northwest, where it is one of the few native species in the arum family.
The plant is called skunk cabbage because of the distinctive "skunky" odor that it emits when it blooms.
This odor permeates the area where the plant grows, and can be detected even in old, dried specimens.
The distinctive odor attracts its pollinators, scavenging flies and beetles.
Reference: Wikipedia