Coltsfoot

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)

Bloom time: March – May

Additional photos:

• Tussilago farfara before first bloom
  credit: Melanie Priesnitz
• Tussilago farfara first bloom
  credit: Rowena Hopkins
• Tussilago farfara past mid bloom
  credit: Madonna Bishop
• Tussilago farfara leaves appear after flowers
  credit: Rowena Hopkins

General: In the areas where it is found, coltsfoot is usually the first small herb to flower in spring.

Leaves & Twigs:

• This plant has solid, hairy stems that give rise to the flowers.
• The distinctive, dark green, hoof-shaped leaves are hairy, which helps to distinguish coltsfoot from similar-looking plants.

Flowers & Fruits:

• The shiny yellow flowers resemble small dandelions, and open in the sun.
• The plant’s composite flower heads contain two kinds of flowers: little tube-like ones in the middle and strap-shaped ones on the outside.

Habitat: This herb is often found growing along sunny sidewalks and roadsides, and in rocky fields.

PlantWatch Pointers: Select a typical patch of plants, if the plants are very abundant, mark off a l-metre-square section to observe.

To Observe:

• First bloom: when the first flowers are open in the observed plants.
• Mid bloom: when 50% of the flowers are open in the observed plants.

Distribution Map:

This species is monitored in:

• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Nova Scotia
• Ontario
• Quebec

Coltsfoot was introduced from Europe, where it is still called the “son before the father” plant because its flowers appear long before its woolly leaves.