Latin name: Tussilago farfara
Common name: Coltsfoot
Other names: Ass’s foot, cleats, foal foot, colt herb, coughwort, dove dock, dummy weed, tushy luck
How to spot it and where to find it: This plant has been seen on the banks of the river Yarzuga in Russia, well inside the Arctic Circle. So it is little wonder it should pop up here in early spring. A creeping perennial of bare, damp or disturbed ground, coltsfoot can be found on waste land, field edges and roadside verges. It has large, heart-shaped leaves and square stems, which hold a single flower, bright yellow and similar to the dandelion. The resemblance continues when the seeds form a ‘clock’, with each seed having its own tiny parachute.
Interesting facts: The U-shaped bract that attaches the…
