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Coltsfoot

Coltsfoot

Tussilago farfara

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How common: Very common

Coltsfoot is a low, early‑spring plant with bright yellow, dandelion‑like flowers. It often blooms before any leaves appear, on short reddish, scaly stems. Later it shows a circle of big heart‑ to kidney‑shaped leaves that are green on top and almost white underneath. You’ll see it along roadsides, ditches and other open, disturbed places.

Did you know?

  • Former provincial flower of East Uusimaa.
  • Often one of the first wildflowers to bloom in spring.

About the species

Identification

A low, long‑lived plant spreading with long underground stems. Flowering shoots appear in early spring before the leaves: single bright yellow flower heads, 2–3 cm across, on short reddish, scaly, hairy stems that later lengthen and bend. Leaves appear later in a ground‑level circle, 10–20 cm wide, heart‑ to kidney‑shaped with uneven teeth; top deep dull green and almost smooth, underside densely white and felt‑like. Seeds have a silky tuft and drift away like dandelions. To tell from dandelion: dandelion usually has leaves during flowering and smooth green stems; coltsfoot’s leaves come later and are white underneath. Flowers in Finland in May–June.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

herb-rich forest, yards and roadsides, mire

Flowering

May–Jun

About the habitat

Grows in open, sunny places on moist, rich or disturbed soil: roadsides, field edges, ditches, yards, waste ground, springs, woods and shores. Often forms large patches. Common in southern and central Finland, rarer further north but increasing.

Sources

Photo: Andreas Trepte, CC BY-SA 2.5 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coltsfoot.jpg

Text: Pinkka: Verso- ja leviäintunnistus - Kaikki leviäimet, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39847

Text: Pinkka: Verso- ja leviäintunnistus - Kaikki versot, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39847

Text: Pinkka: Laaja maatalouslajintuntemus 4 op - Koppisiemeniset, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39847

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leskenlehti

See also