While yet the dew is on the ground,
Gather those flowers
Shakespeare
Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)
Color – Yellow
Height
– 3-18 inches high
Blooms
– March – June
Habitat
– Damp ground, stream banks, and waste places
Properties
– Medicinal
Non-Native
This
charming plant, a member of the Aster family, is a naturalized immigrant from
Europe. It is highly unusual in that its flowers appear before the leaves. As a
result, many casual observers have been likely to mistake the leaves and
blossoms as two separate plants. In fact, this plant has fooled even experts,
for ancient botanists classified the flower as a leafless plant.
But
leafless, it is not; and though tardy, the leaves are particularly lovely. They
are large (5 -8 inches long, 3 -7 inches wide) stand erect, and are angularly
lobed, resembling the shape of a colt hoof, hence its common name. They are smooth and green, with
prominent veins, and have a white, cottony underside. Often they appear just as
the flower goes to seed: a white puffball, not unlike that of a dandelion.
Indeed,
its yellow, composite flower has been likened to the dandelion, to which it is
related. But unlike the dandelion, which is composed of only strap-shaped
flowers, its flowers are composed of both ray and disk flowers. The leafless
stems of the flower wear a downy fuzz and resemble asparagus, in that they bear
red-tipped bracts.
The
leaves grow from separate shoots on the underground rhizome. This rhizome, or
rootstock, as well as the leaves, have traditionally been used for medicinal
purposes.
The
botanical name, Tussilago, means
literally, cough dispeller, revealing the plant’s long history as a medicinal
herb. In fact, early apothecaries used to display a picture of the leaf on
their shop door, in order to alert the mostly non-reading public that they
carried healing herbs, for its curative powers were widely known.
Coltsfoot
contains flavonoids, which are anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory. The plant
acts as an expectorant (helping to bring up phlegm) and as a demulcent (working
to coat and soothe tissue) in fact, in Europe, it is one of the most widely
used herbs for chest problems. While Europeans use mostly the leaf, the Chinese
prefer the flower. However, the flower is much higher in pyrrolizidine
alkaloids (one of the plant’s constituents) which may be toxic to the liver. In
both countries the preferred plant part is made into a decoction ( where the
plant is gently boiled to reduce the liquid, intensifying its potency.)
It
is used as both a syrup for coughs, and as a cigarette for asthma. Also,
research has shown that extracts of the whole plant increase the immune system.
Cautions:
Do not use the flower, and do not take the leaves for over 3-4 weeks. Do not
use if pregnant or nursing. Use for adults only. There are legal restrictions
on the use of this plant in some countries.
