Coltsfoot, properly known as Tussilago farfara, has other names like horse foot, foal’s foot and bull’s foot all referring to the shape of the plant’s leaves which will not appear for a while yet. Another name for Coltsfoot is Coughwort because of its use as an antitussive, a remedy for throat irritation and coughs. In both China and Europe it has been used in medicines for all kinds of respiratory complaints.

I have a cough but I have never made a tea or tincture out of coltsfoot. I just admire it as one of the earliest wildflower bloomers in my garden. This is growing on the Rose Bank where I thought it might form a ground cover, eliminating weeds. You can see this theory has not been successful.

I have written about coltsfoot many times before, and I  just noticed that its bloom time has been pretty conisistent.  I am just so glad to see color in the garden.