coltsfoot
Tussilago farfara L.
Overview
- Appearance
- Tussilago farfara is a perennial, herbaceous plant that invades disturbed areas throughout much of the eastern United States.
- Foliage
- The basal leaves are heart-shaped, slightly toothed and up to 6 in. (15.2 cm) wide.
- Flowers
- The dandelion-like flowers are bright yellow in color and emerge before the leaves in early spring.
- Fruit
- The white, fluffy seed heads resemble dandelions. It also reproduces through rhizomes.
- Ecological Threat
- Tussilago farfara invades moist, open, disturbed areas such as stream banks, ditches and fields. It readily spreads both by seed and rhizomes, allowing it to form large colonies, which can displace native species. Tussilago farfara is native to Europe and was probably introduced into the United States by early settlers for medicinal purposes.
Resources
- Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual - SE-EPPC
- Weed of the Week - USDA Forest Service
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State List - This map identifies those states that list this species on their invasive species list or law. For more information, visit Invasive.org
Invasive Listing Sources
- Alabama Noxious Weeds - Class A Noxious Weed
- Connecticut Invasive Plant List
- Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group
- Connecticut Noxious Weeds
- Invasive Plant Species of West Virginia
- Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council - Significant Threat
- Massachusetts Invasive Plants Advisory Group List
- Massachusetts Noxious Weeds
- Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List
- National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
- New Hampshire Invasive Plant Species Watch List
- Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
- Ontario’s Invading Species Awareness Program Tracked Species List
- Oregon Noxious Weeds
- Pacific Northwest Exotic Pest Plant Council, 1998
- Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council
- Washington Noxious Weeds
- WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
- West Virginia Native Plant Society, Flora West Virginia Project, and West Virginia Curatorial Database System, September 3, 1999
- Wisconsin Noxious Weeds
- Wisconsin's Invasive species rule – NR 40
Taxonomic Rank
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Subclass: Asteridae |
| Order: Asterales |
| Family: Asteraceae |
| Genus: Tussilago |
| Subject: Tussilago farfara L. |
Synonyms and Other Names
Other Common Names:
colts foot, horsefoot, foalfoot, assfoot, coughwort, sowfoot