Butterbur

Petasites hybridus

Up to 50 cm tall. An impressive perennial herb with a creeping rootstock; flowers appear first before leaves emerge. Leaves are up to 1 m across and heart-shaped with blunt teeth around the margin; green above and downy grey below. Flower heads are dense and pinkish-lilac; borne in stout spikes of up to 130 heads on stems with purple scales. Male flowers larger than females and borne on separate plants.

What habitats does it normally live in?

Favours damp ground in waterside habitats

What's its life cycle or behaviour pattern?

March-May

What is its current UK distribution?

Widespread across much of Europe although least common in the south and absent from the far north.

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