Petasites japonicus (Sieb. & Zucc.) Maxim.
Detail
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Botanical Name
- Petasites japonicus (Sieb. & Zucc.) Maxim.
- Common Name
- Japanese Sweet-coltsfoot, Giant Butterbur
- Synonym(s)
- Flora of Virginia Name/Status
- Not in Flora of Virginia; discovered after its publication.
- Comments
- Petasites japonicus is a large herbaceous perennial native to eastern Asia. It is cultivated as an ornamental in northern North America and has been recorded as spreading or escaped in several states north of Virginia. Despite containing toxic alkaloids and carcinogens, the species has been used as a culinary and medicinal herb in Asian folk medicine.
- Habitat
- An escape from cultivation documented by Jennifer Stanley in an urban park in the City of Richmond. Habitat is a somewhat open, weedy floodplain forest with Acer rubrum, Lindera benzoin, Nemophilla aphylla, Veronica hederifolia, Microstegium vimineum, Onoclea sensibilis, and Glechoma hederacea. Records of the species from several additional Virginia counties are posted on iNaturalist, but it is difficult to tell from most of the posts whether the plants are in cultivated beds or escaped.
- Native Status
- Introduced
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