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Asteraceae
Coltsfoot
Tussilago farfara
Justice, maternal care, healing breath.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Tussilago
- Native to
- Europe, Asia, North Africa
- Bloom season
- Winter, Spring
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 10–30 cm (4–12 in)
- Sunlight
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Heavy, clay, disturbed
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 3–8
- Lifespan
- Long-lived perennial
Did you know
- Coltsfoot is famous for blooming before its leaves appear—dandelion-like flowers push up through bare ground or melting snow weeks before the hoof-shaped leaves unfurl.
- Its species name 'Tussilago' literally means 'cough dispeller'—the plant has been smoked, brewed, and inhaled for respiratory complaints since ancient Greek times.
- It is one of the very first flowers of the year in northern Europe and a critical early nectar source for queen bumblebees emerging from hibernation.
- Coltsfoot was the symbol of European apothecaries for centuries—its golden flower painted on shop signs from Paris to Prague meant 'medicines sold here.'
- Despite its medicinal fame, coltsfoot contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that can damage the liver, so most modern herbalists use cultivars bred to be alkaloid-free.
Color meanings
0
justice
1
healing
2
early hope