Asian Skunk Cabbage

I live in a traditional little town where the ways of old are still practiced to a large degree.  Nature is in abundance here and treated with great respect.  People come from all over Japan to Gujo for many different reasons, but most of them have to do with something nature related.  And this week was no different!  As I was driving to school this morning I saw people piling out of buses all around our little town.  As usual, I was clueless to what everyone was coming for so I followed the masses.  I was taken to a swampy area that is never used by anyone!  To my surprise the little swamp or enormous puddle had exploded with life in the form of these white flowers.  It still amazes me how much people like the little things here in Japan because there were hundreds of people!

I have a few of these flowers at my house in the areas that dont drain very well.  However, I have never seen this flower before I came to Japan.  I knew the Japanese name “mizubasho” which literally means water banana, but had no idea of the English name if one existed.  So this afternoon I did a little research and found out these little guys are called Lysichiton camtschatcensis or more commonly know as asian skunk cabbage!  I linked wikipedia as they will explain it better than I can.  Its not really a pretty name that does justice to these delicate flowers.  And in my opinion I couldnt smell anything foul except for all the tourists bad breath around me!  You must have to put your nose straight into the flower to smell anything foul!  So I snapped a few pictures and headed to school. Enjoy!

As I looked around on the internet I found these little flowers have massive root systems and was wondering if transplanting these little guys was possible?  Thoughts?