MHG Volunteer Blogs: Week 10 - Coltsfoot

It's time for the latest blog from our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their blog series here.

10 March 2025

The volunteers arrived to find a chilly mist over the castle. Despite this, we still spotted ladybirds nestled in the rosemary flowers.

A ladybird resting on a rosemary plant in the Medieval Herb Garden

Dave dug out some of the liquorice plant runners. They can easily take over with new shoots popping up some distance from the original plant.

Dave getting stuck in with the liquorice runners

James and Helen continued the weeding battle against hairy bittercress and lamb’s lettuce. We can now add cinquefoil onto that list - the MHG’s nemesis! It spreads very thoroughly. 

James also noticed that leaves had started to unfurl on the crab-apple tree.

Young leaves and fruit on the crab apple tree

When weeding at this time of year, it is easy to mistakenly weed out self-sown herb seedlings. These could either be planted elsewhere else or be potted-on, to sell on the barrow. Helen admits that she has experience of needing to replant herbs that she thought were weeds!

Plant of the week: Coltsfoot (tussilago farfara)

The name 'tussilago' is derived from the Latin 'tussis', meaning cough, and 'ago', meaning to cast or to act on. 

'Farfara' comes from 'farfarus' which is an ancient name for the white poplar tree. This is because their leaves bear some resemblance to coltsfoot.

Our coltsfoot crop - the flowers appear before the leaves

Coltsfoot is a perennial, deciduous, herbaceous plant. It is native to Europe and Western and Central Asia.

The flowers bear scale-leaves on the long stems in early spring. The true leaves are large, crinkly and mid to dark green. They have angular teeth on their margins with a silvery, furry reverse that appears as the flowers fade. Coltsfoot prefers moist, but well-drained soiI, of any acidity.

Coltsfoot grows to a height of 10 to 20cm. It rapidly spreads by large, white, fleshy, underground roots. It can be hard to get rid of, as the plant re-grows from even the smallest piece of root left behind in the soil. As the roots are brittle, they are hard to completely remove.

Culinary uses of coltsfoot

Coltsfoot Rock is a confectionery created from coltsfoot extract by a confectioner based in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire. As a product, it is a hardened stick of brittle rock flavoured with coltsfoot. It is usually consumed for medicinal purposes. Coltsfoot Rock has a subtle aniseed flavour, similar to liquorice.

Folklore and other coltsfoot facts

The old name for coltsfoot was 'filius ante patron' (the son before the father). This is because the golden flowers appear and wither before the broad sea-green leaves are produced.

When coltsfoot reached the Americas, a popular practice would be to soak a blanket in a solution of coltsfoot and wrap it around patients suffering from whooping cough.

Cornish tin miners would regularly smoke coltsfoot to guard against lung diseases.

In Russia and China, it is used to treat diarrhoea, skin diseases, wounds, and blemishes. In Turkey it is used to treat burns. In Ukraine and Poland it is used to treat ulcers.

Coltsfoot is used as a food plant by the larvae of some moths including the gothic and small angle shades moths. It is also visited by honeybees, providing pollen and nectar. The seed clocks are used by goldfinches to line their nests.

The flowers open in the day and close up again at night.

Medieval uses*

Coltsfoot has been used medicinally for many hundreds of years to treat coughs, colds and sore throats.  Coltsfoot 'tea' is a traditional remedy. It is said to smell of liquorice.

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.