Petasites palmatus - Sweet Butterbur

Family:	Compositae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.4
Width:	1
Synonyms:
Range:	N. America - Newfoundland to Massachusetts, west to Alaska and south to California.

Petasites palmatus (Sweet Butterbur) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.4m and a width of 1m . It has a fast growth rate. It has a hardness rating of 0.
Sweet Butterbur will flower in August to October. the seeds ripen from October
The flowers from this plant are dioecious (each plant is either male or female, thus both genders need to be present to seed) and they are pollinated by Insects

Soil Information

Sweet Butterbur will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Sweet Butterbur prefers soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Sweet Butterbur can grow in full, semi shaded areas and areas with no shade.

Low woods, glades and damp clearings[43]. Swamps and along the sides of streams[235].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Works within dappled Shade
• Grows in a shady edge
• Is suited to a deeply shaded location
• Suits a meadow
• A bog garden plant

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1], but prefers a deep fertile humus-rich soil that is permanently moist but not stagnant, succeeding in shade, semi-shade or full sun[200]. Requires a moist shady position[187]. Plants can be grown in quite coarse grass, which can be cut annually in the autumn[233]. Plants are hardy to about -20°c[187]. A very invasive plant, too rampant for anything other than the wild garden[187, 200]. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 2/5
Young flower stalks, used before the flower buds appear, are boiled until tender and seasoned with salt[172, 177, 183]. Flower buds - cooked[183]. Leafstalks - peeled and eaten raw[105, 177, 183, 257]. The ash of the plant is used as a salt substitute[46, 61, 95, 102, 183]. To prepare the salt, the stems and leaves are rolled up into balls whilst still green, and after being carefully dried they are placed on top of a very small fire on a rock and burned[213].

• Flowers -
• Salt - plants that provide a substitute for salt.
• Stem - this often intergrades into leaves.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
The roots have been used in treating the first stages of grippe and consumption[257]. The dried and grated roots have been applied as a dressing on boils, swellings and running sores[257]. An infusion of the crushed roots has been used as a wash for sore eyes[257]. A syrup for treating coughs and lung complaints has been made from the roots of this species combined with mullein(Verbascum sp.) and plum root (Prunus sp.)[257].

• Pectoral - Relieves respiratory diseases, a remedy for chest diseases.
• Salve - Soothes and heals damaged skin.
• TB - Plants used in the treatment of tuberculosis

Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe or in early spring. Only just cover the seed and do not allow the compost to dry out. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division succeeds at almost any time of the year. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Gray's Manual of Botany.
Fernald. M. L.
Author: Fernald. M. L.
Rating:
Publisher : A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
Date of Publication : 1950

An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada
Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
Author: Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
Date of Publication : 1970

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