Clump of Butterbur

Image: © Jonathan Kington Taken: 30 Mar 2011

This small colony of Butterbur are growing next to the towpath on the Leek Branch of the Caldon Canal, for a close-up see Image Common Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) is also known as Bog Rhubarb, Devil's Hat and Pestilence Wort, it is a common plant usually found growing in colonies in damp habitats. The flowers appear before the leaves in early spring and are pale pink with several inflorescences (clusters) of flowers grouped on 5 to 20 centimetre long stem. The leaves are very large with a diameter of up to a metre, supported by thick stems that can be up to 1.2 metres in length. The herbalist Nicholas Culpeper called it "a great preserver of the heart and reviver of the spirits" and it has had many uses in folk medicine, recent trials have found that a preparation made with Butterbur root could be effective in reducing the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. Historically, the plant’s common name arises from the use of its leaves to wrap butter with.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0