Practical
Plants

Petasites palmatus

Sweet Butterbur

a perennial member of the Petasites genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
0.4 m
Spread
1 m
Fertility
Self sterile, Insects
Flower type
dioecious
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young flower stalks, used before the flower buds appear, are boiled until tender and seasoned with salt[4][5][6]. Flower buds - cooked[6]. Leafstalks - peeled and eaten raw[3][5][6][12]. The ash of the plant is used as a salt substitute[14][15][16][2][6]. To prepare the salt, the stems and leaves are rolled up into balls whilst still green, and after being carefully dried they are placed on top of a very small fire on a rock and burned[9].

Plant part
Flowers
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.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The roots have been used in treating the first stages of grippe and consumption[12]. The dried and grated roots have been applied as a dressing on boils, swellings and running sores[12]. An infusion of the crushed roots has been used as a wash for sore eyes[12]. A syrup for treating coughs and lung complaints has been made from the roots of this species combined with mullein(Verbascum sp.) and plum root (Prunus sp.)[12].

Product or use
Pectoral
Product or use
Salve
Product or use
TB

Environment

Range
N. America - Newfoundland to Massachusetts, west to Alaska and south to California.
Habitat
Low woods, glades and damp clearings[13]. Swamps and along the sides of streams[11].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
permanent shade
Water
high
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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[8]. Requires a moist shady position[7]. Plants can be grown in quite coarse grass, which can be cut annually in the autumn[10]. Plants are hardy to about -20°c[7]. A very invasive plant, too rampant for anything other than the wild garden[7][8]. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-394-72811-4

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  3. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  4. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

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  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩1↩2

  6. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  7. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  9. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

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  10. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

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  11. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

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  12. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  13. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

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  14. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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  15. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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  16. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

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