Butterbur

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Butterbur is a perennial herb that is part of the Aster family. In Latin, the name of this plant is as follows: Petasite.

This genus includes about twenty different plant species that are most often found in temperate climates in the Northern Hemisphere of our planet. It is noteworthy that two species can be found in natural conditions on the territory of the European part of Russia. Butterbur most often grows in damp and wetlands, as well as along the banks of water bodies.

Actually, this genus owes its name to the presence of rather wide large leaves, which in their shape are very reminiscent of a horse's hoof print.

In height, these plants can range from thirty to one hundred and fifty centimeters. However, it is very rare to see such plants, the height of which will already be two meters. The rhizomes of the plant are quite powerful, cordlike, and also creeping, in length it is about one and a half meters.

Butterbur shoots are juicy and thick, they are covered with scaly membranous leaves, which will also be stalk-enveloping. At the very beginning of its growth, around early spring, stems appear from the ground, which will have adjoining leaves, at the end of which very unusual spike-shaped inflorescences are noticeable, outwardly these inflorescences resemble a kind of morel mushrooms. Some plant species are dioecious: male and female flowers are formed on different plants. The flowering of this plant begins around April-early May, even before the blooming of the basal leaves.

The flowers of the plant are rather inconspicuous in appearance, they are painted either greenish or pinkish. After flowering is over, the shoots of the butterbur will begin to stretch out, which will cause them to reach their maximum height. On the shoots, fruits with seeds are tied, which then become a substitute for large basal leaves, which will die during the autumn frosts.

Description of butterbur wide

In Latin, the name of butterbur broad is as follows: Petasites amplus. Under natural conditions, this plant is found in China and the Far East. The plant is endowed with spike-shaped inflorescences, which are rounded in shape and resemble shields. The flowers of this plant are painted in pale green tones and are of little interest. Green leaves reach one and a half meters in diameter; rather beautiful clumps are formed on the leaf petioles, which look great in the general landscape.

Description of Japanese butterbur and hybrid

In Latin, butterbur is called Variegatus. In size, this plant is much smaller than wide butterbur. It is worth noting that many types of butterbur are very similar to each other, for this reason it is rather difficult to distinguish one type from another. In gardens, one of the natural species of hybrid origin, known as the hybrid butterbur, can often be found. Such a plant can be found throughout Russia along the banks of rivers, in damp ravines and even in lowlands. Such butterbur will have elongated racemose inflorescences with off-white or pink baskets, which in turn are enclosed in purple wrappers.

The flower-bearing stem is also painted in purple tones, the same tones are also present in the color of the veins of the leaves and even the petioles. The leaves of the hybrid butterbur are gray-tomentose. Such a plant is sometimes also called burdock, and plague grass, and royal root, and even the king grass.