Petasites hyperboreus
Arctic Sweet Coltsfoot
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Compositae
- Genus
- Petasites
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Growth rate
- vigorous
- Height
- 0.15 m
- Spread
- 1 m
- Fertility
- self sterile
- Flower type
- dioecious
- Pollinators
- Insects
Uses
Edible uses
Young leaves - cooked. A felt-like texture[2]. Young stalks and flower heads - cooked[2]. The burnt leaves are used as a salt substitute[2][3]. The stems and leaves, whilst still green, are rolled up into balls, dried and then placed on top of a very small fire on a rock and burned[6]. A very acceptable condiment for piñole[6].
- Plant part
- Flowers
- Plant part
- Leaves
- Product or use
- Salt
- Plant part
- Stem
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
Antispasmodic, poultice, salve[2]. An infusion of the dried, stored leaves has been used in the treatment of colds, head and chest congestion[8].
- Product or use
- Antispasmodic
- Product or use
- Pectoral
- Product or use
- Poultice
- Product or use
- Salve
Material uses
The cotton-like seed heads have been used as a stuffing material in mattresses etc[8]. The leaves have been used to make temporary cone-shaped containers for picking fruit[8]. The leaves have occasionally been used to form makeshift funnels[8].
- Product or use
- Containers
- Product or use
- Stuffing
Environment
- Range
- North-western N. America.
- Habitat
- Meadows, swampy places and moist woods[10].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- permanent shade
- Water
- high
- Hardiness
- Zone 5+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe or in early spring. Only just cover the seed and do not allow the compost to dry out. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division succeeds at almost any time of the year. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.
Cultivation
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will succeed in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of the country. According to one report this species is no more than a synonym of P. frigidus[10]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1], but prefers a deep fertile humus-rich soil that is permanently moist but not stagnant, succeeding in shade, semi-shade or full sun[5]. Prefers partial shade[9]. Plants can be grown in quite coarse grass, which can be cut annually in the autumn[7]. A very invasive plant, too rampant for anything other than the wild garden[4][5]. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6
Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Brown. Shade Plants for Garden and Woodland.
Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955-00-00