Coltsfoot

Coltsfoot, Tussilago farfara one of the earliest spring flowers should be in bloom from February but it was half way through March when I saw my first of the year. Although we might expect an early bloom in these days of climate change there is a theory that warmer autumns may delay flowering. Much more research is needed to establish a definite link.

Here they are on the thinly grassed edges of Wye Valley woodland rides. The daisy-like flowers (no surprise it's a member of the Asteraceae family) appear before the leaves, giving rise to one of its folk names: Son before father. There are some very descriptive local names: Sweep's Brushes and Yellow Stars in Somerset.

I saw tight purple-tinged buds in leaf litter before I saw these blooms on a sunnier edge. The ray florets are many and thin. The stigmas are very slender. The disc florets form the centre. Early bees and beetles visit it for nectar and pollen. There are photo-bombing beetles here. I should have looked closer!

The flowering stem carries a solitary bloom. This stem has felted white hairs and many purplish, scale-like bracts.

There are no leaves at this stage. 

The leaves give rise to the English name Coltsfoot as they resemble a colt's or foal's foot. I rather like the name Clatterclogs used in Cumbria! Well after the flowers are gone the leaves will grow large and tall on different stalks. The felted white hairs initially on both sides of the leaves give rise to the name farfara. They bear some similarity to the shape and texture of leaves of the White Poplar tree, whose undersides are white and hairy. Its ancient name was Farfarus. The dry felt on Coltsfoot leaves has been used as tinder.

Tussilago comes from the Latin 'tussis', a cough and 'ago' roughly speaking to drive away. Greek and Roman physicians in the first century CE extolled its virtues as a soothing substance, expectorant and tonic. Linnaeus said the Swedes smoked it to soothe the lungs. Known as Baccy Plant in Somerset the leaves are often used as a basis for herbal tobacco and as such it can still be bought as a tobacco or a tea leaf. Coltsfoot Rock is similarly available. As it counted as a cough sweet it was not on ration during the war and could be bought from chemists by children and adults wanting a sweet treat. Tushy-lucky, as this plant is known in Scotland, is a corruption of tussilago.

 

I am going to finish with a few lines of very free verse:

Coltsfoot wheels verge the woodland path,

grounded partners of Helios;

reaching up, 

reflecting his chariot's course, 

as he warms the land,

announcing the Spring.

                                              

I hope you enjoyed this short blog.

Acknowledgements

Mabey Flora Britannica

Harrap's Wild Flowers

Grigson The Englishman's Flora

Websites include

https://botanical.com/

https://wildflowerfinder.org.uk/

https://naturescalendar.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/coltsfoot-a-little-ray-of-sunshine-in-the-spring/