#petasites

[francescointoppa]

Farfaraccio vaniglione (Petasites pyrenaicus (L.) G.López (= P. fragrans Vill.), (Asteraceae)

[kristo-flowers]

Butterbur

[wiley-treehouse-gardens]

Petasites

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Friday 24 March 2023

On the coast of northern Scotland the invasive species Petasites albus (white butterbur) was flowering. This plant is native to the mountains of Europe and the Caucuses and was introduced as an ornamental species.

Jill Raggett

[dendroica]

Coltsfoot (Petasites palmatus) (via USFWS - Pacific Region)

Photo credit: Peter Pearsall/USFWS

[demuthgardens]

The goldfish are enjoying their privacy hiding under a swamp of big leaved tropicals. Big leaved petasites love their feet directly in the water so I set the pots on top of cinder blocks in the water.  

[nncastle]

A fellow gardener dropped off a bucket of these Butterbur plants yesterday. By the time I got home, they looked like they were ready to give up. I immediately set to work on getting the Triffids in the ground. This woodland monster with huge 2′ leaves promises to be interesting. 

Butterbur it turns out is a medicinal herb used to treat all kinds of illnesses. Some of the most impressive health benefits include its ability to reduce fevers, prevent and treat migraines, eliminate spasms, soothe pain, calm allergic reactions, lower inflammation, and clear out the respiratory tracts.

Butterbur is the common name of a creeping ground plant that has its own genus, Petasites. Although related to sunflowers, they have a very different structure and a unique combination of chemicals that make the plant highly sought after. From the rhizomes, leaves, and stems of this plant, certain alkaloids and other chemical compounds can be extracted, which can be used for a wide variety of health conditions. It has been used for more than two millennia and can be found on three continents, including Europe, North America, and various parts of northern Asia.

I’ll post more photos as they recover from replanting stress (hopefully). 

[natureisthegreatestartist]

What in the world are these things? They’re the flowers of Petasites japonicus (aka butterbur, sweet colts-foot, bog rhubarb or fuki), an edible perennial that blooms each winter on my property before creating giant leaves. Weird and wonderful, yes?