Butterbur

Petasites
A genus of rhizomatous perennials that are part of the larger Asteraceae family.

* photos of unknown internet source



Petasites albus ( White Butterbur )
A perennial native to Eurasia that can reach up to 4 feet in height. An attractive foliage plant but it can spread vigorously due to its rhizomes. It can be used as a tall groundcover as it can cover large areas in a short time.
The leaves grow stop an upright stalk up to 1.5 feet tall and are umbrella like and kidney shaped reaching up to 16 inches in width. They are green with toothed lobes.
The leaves are preceeded in March and April by stalks up to a foot tall of small, yellow-white flowers borne in dense clusters. The flower nector is valuable for Honey Bees.
Hardy zones 4 to 8 in fertile, moist soil in moderate shade to morning sun.
They are easily propagated by means of division.

Petasites amplex
A perennial native to Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands in eastern Asia that can reach up to 10 feet in height. An attractive foliage plant but it can spread vigorously due to its rhizomes. It can be used as a tall groundcover as it can cover large areas in a short time.
The leaves grow stop an upright stalk and are umbrella-like rounded and up to 6.6 x 5 feet in size. They are deep green above and woolly white below.
The leaves are preceeded in March and April by stalks up to a foot tall of small, yellow-white flowers borne in dense clusters.
Hardy zones 4 to 8 in partial shade. It has a thick, deep taproot and is great for under deciduous trees and wet places. Propagation is from seed and division.

Petasites japonica ( Japanese Butterbur )
A perennial, reach up to 4 x 5 + feet in size, that is native to Sakhalin, central & eastern China, Korea and Japan. An attractive foliage plant but it can spread vigorously due to its rhizomes. It can be used as a tall groundcover as it can cover large areas in a short time.
The leaves grow stop an upright stalk up to 4 feet tall and are umbrella like and kidney shaped reaching up to 3 feet in width. They are green with toothed lobes.
The leaves are preceeded in March and April by stalks up to a foot tall of small, yellow-white flowers borne in dense clusters.
Hardy zones 4 to 7 in fertile, moist soil in moderate shade to morning sun.
It is heat tolerant if growing on permanently moist soil. Excellent for the edge of a pond.

* photos taken on April 18 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.



* photo taken on May 1 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.


* photo taken by Bill Moses @ CalPhotos

'Giganteus' ( Giant Japanese Butterbur )
"Japanese Butterbur on Steroids". A massive, hardy, tropical looking perennial to give a rainforest vibe to any moist shade garden or even shallow water. It also grows like a jungle plant with huge, wavy-margined leaves up to 5.5 feet across atop stout stems reaching up to 7 feet in height. Looks great planted next to a pond.
The greenish flowers appear on leafless stems during very early spring.
It spreads vigorously and can "run" up to 5 feet in a year.
The leaf stems are edible, just like Rhubarb.

* photos taken on August 20 2011 @ Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD







* photo taken on May 21 2014 in Harford Co., MD

* photo taken on July 1 2015 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Apr 23 2017 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD

* photos taken on Aug 1 2022 in Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD

'Purpureus'
Purple foliage; otherwise identical to species.

'Variegatus' ( Variegated Butterbur )
A vigorous cultivar originating from var giganteus, reaching up to 4 ( rarely over 3 ) feet in height.
The leaves, up to 3 ( rarely over 1.5 ) feet across, are irregularily splashed creamy white or yellow.

* photos taken on May 27 2017 @ Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Vienna, VA

Petasites palmatus ( Arctic Sweet Coltsfoot )
Possibly a subspecies of Petasites frigidus; is a vigorous perennial, reaching up to 1.5 feet in height, that is native to northern North America ( from far northern Alaska to far northwest Northwest Territories to Fort McMurray, Alberta to Churchill, Manitoba to far northern Ontario to Labrador & Newfoundland; south to Calfornia to northern Idaho to Saskatchewant to northern Minnesota to Massachusetts ). It is moderately common on the Bruce Peninsula of Ontario. It is found in coniferous forests and swamps in the wild.
The 7 to 11 lobed, palmate leaves are up to 16 x 20 ( rarely over 12 ) inches in size. The foliage is mid-green above, silvery-white beneath.
The flowers appear during early spring.
Hardy zones 3 to 6 in partial to full shade on moist soil.

* USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

'Golden Palms'
Reaches up to 2 x 3 feet with shimmering, gold leaves up to 12 inches across that are preceded by creamy-white flowers spikes from February to April.
Hardy north to zone 3 in sun or partial shade ( shade in the south ) on moist soil.
A great bog plant.

Petasites tatewakianus
Similar to Petasites japonica except for having very deeply-cut foliage with it bright green above and nearly white beneath. It is native to far eastern Russia; south to northern China and Korea. It forms a rhizomatous perennial, reaching up to 6.5 feet in height.
The leaves, up to 28 x 28 inches in size, are borne on a stalk up to 3.3 feet in height.
The flowers are white to light violet.
Hardy zones 4 to 7 in full sun to partial shade on moist to wet, fertile soil.

Petasites vulgaris ( Sweet Coltsfoot )
Also called Petasites hybridus. A widespreading perennial, reaching a maximum size of 3 x 6.6 feet, that is native to Eurasia and naturalized in the Great Lakes region in North America.
The toothed, kidney-shaped leaves, up to 3 feet across, are borne on erect stalks up to 2 feet in length.
Thrives in partial to full shade.

Butterbur also has medicinal uses. See external link... http://www.buzzle.com/articles/butterbur-for-migraines.html

* photos taken on July 16 2016 in Bayfield, ON