Winter Heliotrope - Petasites fragrans

Scientific Name: Petasites fragrans (Asteraceae). Syn P. pyrenaicus.


English Name: Winter Heliotrope; Sweet-scented Coltsfoot (Daisy family).


French Name: Le Pétasite des Pyrénées (='Pyrenean Petasite'); le Pétasite odorant (='Scented Petasite'); l'Héliotrope d'hiver (='Winter Heliotrope').

5 Key Characters:

• lilac coloured sweetly scented flowers.
• rounded or heart-shaped leaves.
• leaves and flowers appear together in winter.
• leaves large (10 - 20 cm across).
• leaves are green on both sides.

Lookalikes: Butterbur P. hybridus, which flowers before the (huge) leaves (with downy undersides) appear.  Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara, which has yellow flowers.


Habitat: Waste ground, banks, roadsides, beside streams.


Flowering Period: December-January-February-March.


Status: Very locally common, but a curiously patchy distribution.


Photographed by Loire Valley Nature: