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Butterbur

Petasites

Also called Butterburs

Butterbur
Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0

Petasites, butterburs, are perennial plants from the daisy family grown for their large rhubarb-like leaves and early flower spikes. They need moist soil and cool conditions, and they spread vigorously by creeping rhizomes.

Family
Asteraceae (Daisy family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Part shade, Full sun
Water
Keep soil consistently moist, especially in summer.
Soil
Moist, fertile, humus-rich soil; tolerates heavy or wet ground.
Temperature
Hardy in cold winters; protect potted plants from hard freezes.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Toxic: Raw leaves and roots contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can damage the liver; the sources note butterbur extract is used medicinally in processed, alkaloid-reduced form.

About

Petasites is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family, Asteraceae, that are commonly referred to as butterburs and coltsfoots. They are perennial plants with thick, creeping underground rhizomes and large rhubarb-like leaves during the growing season. Most species are native to Asia or southern Europe.

Uses

Butterbur has been used for over 2000 years to treat a variety of ailments including fever, lung disease, spasms, and pain. Currently, butterbur extract is used for migraine prevention and treatment of allergic rhinitis, which have the most evidence for its effectiveness.

Other Petasites plants

Japanese sweet coltsfoot

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Petasites by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

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