Coltsfoot Care

Tussilago farfara, commonly known as coltsfoot, is a plant in the daisy family Asteraceae, native to Europe and parts of Asia. The name "tussilago" is derived from the Latin tussis, meaning cough, and ago, meaning to cast or to act on.

Coltsfoot is a perennial herbaceous groundcover, with the typical bright yellow flowers that characterise the Asteraceae family. The flowers are fragrant, even when dried and are similar to a tufty dandelion, although they are flat and a little smaller. The leaves are slightly lobed and resemble the underside of a colt’s foot, being described as hoof-like. The jade coloured leaves can grow 10 cm or more across and have prominent white veins that spread spider like across the leaf surface. The plant is often found in waste and disturbed places and along roadsides and paths. In some areas it is considered an invasive species. Invasive in the eastern United States.