In the spring and summer months, the creek at the bottom of the hill may be surrounded by smelly Eastern skunk cabbage. One of the first freshwater wetland plants to emerge in early spring, its strong odor attracts flies and beetles as pollinators but deters hungry deer and other animals from munching on it. Skunk cabbage also has a unique ability to produce heat that allows it to emerge and bloom even when the ground is still frozen – up to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, which melts the snow and thaws the ground around the plant.