Tussilago farfara – Sometimes called Coughwort
- It has a single flower to a scaly stem.
- Its leaves have a pale felty underside and are sometimes used as tinder. They are shaped vaguely like a colt’s foot.
- It was used in the past for coughs and colds. Coltsfoot preparations are supposed to soothe sore throats.
- In ancient times herbalists recommended smoking it to soothe the throat. Coltsfoot is still sometimes used as a tobacco substitute.
- It grows all over Cowbar grassland. Pieces of rooting stem can slide down eroding slopes and start new colonies.
- It is one of the first plants to flower in the spring. It can appear from January. It flowers well in March and April.
