MHG Volunteer Blog 15: Alexanders

Can you believe we're actually asking for rain in Yorkshire?! Find out what our Medieval Herb Gardeners have been up to this week in their latest blog.

14 April 2025

Monday, still no rain, and the ground is like dusty concrete. The plants are beginning to show the effects of the lack of water. Some are not getting to their usual height before they start to flower.

Being the Easter holidays, we had plenty of families visiting. We were regularly replying to the usual youngsters’ query of “Whatcha doin’?” !

Dave finished off weeding in front of the lavender 'hedge', and did some spot weeding on the thistles. Helen used her artistic skills to make a start on the new plant boards for the MHG.

Helen's stunning plant board for Woad in the Medieval Herb Garden

Carole continued weeding from where she, and occasional volunteer, Sharon, had left off on Thursday – yes, we don’t just garden on a Monday!

The weekly plant count found 30 species in flower. Carole then spent some time deciding which plants to include in the first MHG talk of the season. The talk is on Easter Saturday 19 April at 1pm. You can book a free ticket for the talk here.

Carole and Helen also enjoyed interesting conversations with two of our visitors today. One was from the Crown Prosecution Service of Winnipeg and Manitoba, Canada. The second was with a member of the marketing team for Warwick Castle. We really do get visitors from far and wide!

Plant of the Week - Alexanders (smyrnium olusatrum) 

The name smyrnium comes from the Greek word for 'myrrh', because of the smell of its flowers and seeds. It also contains 'olusatrum' meaning 'black herb', from the Latin, olus = herb, and ater = black. This is because of its jet-black seeds, which form in late summer.

The name, 'alexanders', is a corruption of the Latin (olus ater ⇒ alisander). It doesn’t have anything to do with Alexander the Great, although the plant originated in Macedonia and the Mediterranean.

It has many common names such as: black lovage, hellroot, skit, horse parsley, parsley of Alexandria, black pot-herb, stanmarch, megweed and Thanet celery.

Alexanders growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

Alexanders is a vigorous, deciduous, hairless, clump-forming biennial. It has a solid stem up to 22 mm in diameter, which becomes hollow and grooved with age. The leaves are bright green and have toothed edges. They are arranged in groups of three at the end of the leaf stalk. The plant can reach a height of 1.5m.

In late spring and early summer, it produces branched umbels of small, greenish-yellow flowers. These emit a strong, myrrh-like scent and produce large amounts of nectar.

The fruit is round and black when fully ripe, and exudes an oil which smells of capsicum or diesel.  

Alexanders will grow in any soil, but prefers full sun.

Culinary uses of Alexanders

All parts of the plant can be eaten. Its tender young shoots, which taste like a cross between celery and parsley, can be foraged as early as late January.  

The leaves and stalks were used for soups, broths, and stews. The fleshy stems were eaten like celery and the leaves like parsley.

The thickened tap-roots were roasted or added to casseroles and stews, like parsnips. The buds could be pickled or fried.

The flowers could be used as a decoration in salads. The black seeds and flowers could be used as a pepper-like spice.

Alexanders fell out of favour in the 1700s. This was when celery ('apium graveolens') started being mass produced to replace wild herbs and vegetables.

By the time Mrs Beeton had compiled her “Book of Household Management” in 1861 alexanders was “used in this country in the same way in which celery is”. However, it could only be found growing wild on the sea coast, as “its cultivation is now almost entirely abandoned”.

Folklore and other facts about Alexanders

Alexanders was well-recognised in the classical world. It was recorded by the Greek natural historian Theophrastus (371BC - 287BC). The Roman writer Pliny the Elder (c23AD- 79AD) wrote extensively about its properties. It was in common use at the time of the Roman colonisation of Britain. It was one of many culinary species the Roman armies brought with them following their invasion in 43AD.

In Britain, over 150 insect species have been recorded visiting the flowers. These include many flies and bees, several beetles, butterflies, moths, and other types of insects.

On the Isle of Man, it was known as lus-ny-ollee. It was used by vets to treat animals with sore mouths.

Medieval uses*

Although mainly used as a food crop, Ancient Greek and Roman literature described medicinal uses for all parts of the plant. It was a traditional plant for cleansing the blood. It was also a digestive herb for strengthening the stomach. 

Sailors used it to treat scurvy. Herbalists used it to relieve stomach and urinary problems. 

Alexanders was also a remedy for headaches, toothaches, swellings of the body, cuts and bruises, asthma, consumption, and tuberculosis.

*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.

Browse the previous Medieval Herb Garden blogs here

MHG Volunteer Blog: Week 14 - Cleavers

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.

7 April 2025

Another beautiful day at the castle. A day when you just want to sit in the sun, with an ice cream... but the weeding had to be done.

Dave weeded in front of the lavender 'hedge'. Carole carried out the weekly plant count. We have something in flower in the MHG every week of the year. Today, we had 27 different varieties in flower. The marigolds, which managed to survive the winter, have come into flower three months early.

Marigolds in bloom in the Medieval Herb Garden

After the count, Carole started to weed. Today she removed cleavers, buttercups, cinquefoil, couch grass, speedwell, dandelions, more buttercups, docks, lamb’s lettuce, nettles, petty spurge, hairy bittercress, rag weed, vetch and even more buttercups.

Although the most of these are actually medieval herbs, we only need so many of each in the MHG. The rest have to come out before they take over the garden!  We have often said that maybe we should have a 'weed of the week'...

In light of the above, today’s medieval plant of the week is a weed, for which I have gained a grudging respect. It’s so easy to pull up, once you notice it climbing up your other plants.

Plant of the Week – Cleavers (gallium aparine)

Cleavers has many common names such as clivers, catchweed, robin-run-the-hedge, goosegrass, bedstraw, sweetheart, stickyweed and barweed.

The name 'cleavers' comes from the fact that the plant sticks (or cleaves) to animals, clothing and skin. It sticks due to the tiny hairs along the stem and seed pods.

Cleavers is an annual, herbaceous plant. It is native to a wide region of Europe, North Africa and Asia. It is now also naturalised throughout the American and Australian continents, including some oceanic islands. It can grow in any soil type and conditions.

Cleavers growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

Cleavers has straggling stems. These branch and grow along the ground and over other plants. They attach themselves with the small hooked hairs which grow out of the stems and leaves. Cleavers prefers the sun and will climb up, over, or through, anything it can, to reach the light.

The stems can reach up to 4 ft tall, and are angular or square shaped.

The leaves are oval, and come in whorls of six to eight. The tiny flowers are star-shaped, of a white to greenish colour, and are clustered in groups of two or three.

The seed heads are covered with hooked hairs which cling to animal fur and human skin and clothing. This helps with their seed dispersal.

Culinary uses of Cleavers

The whole plant is rich in vitamin C and can be used to make a type of 'tea'.

Once dried, roasted and ground, cleaver seeds form one of the best substitutes for coffee. They contain less caffeine than traditional coffee sources.

Cleavers was once used as a potherb. The plant’s hook-like bristles soften when boiled. Its chopped leaves and stem can be made into soups and stews. The tender shoots can be boiled and buttered as a vegetable.

Folklore and other facts about Cleavers

The sticky seeds were once used by lacemakers to enlarge pinheads.

The roots of cleavers can be used to produce a permanent red dye.

The ancient Greek shepherds were said to use the plant as a sieve, when they were out in the fields tending and milking their sheep. In Sweden, a thick mat of the stems is still used as a filter for milk.

Cleavers provides food for the larvae of many butterfly species. Horses, cows, poultry, geese, and sheep also love to eat cleavers.

Folklore claims that whoever drinks cleavers water for nine weeks shall be so beautiful that everyone will fall in love with them..!

Medieval uses*

Cleavers was used both internally and externally. As a poultice (a moist mass), the herb was useful for treating wounds and various stubborn skin disorders. This included eczema, acne, and psoriasis.

Internally it was commonly used as a tonic for the kidney, liver, and lymphatic system. It was useful for treating oedema, arthritis, ear and throat infections. Cleavers were also used to cleanse the blood, treat scurvy, snake bites and induce sleep.

Cleavers was often mixed with goldenrod and nettles to help 'tonify' and strengthen weak kidneys.

In 1597 John Gerard wrote that “clivers” was “a marvellous remedy for the bites of snakes, spiders and all venomous creatures”. Quoting Pliny, he said: “A pottage made of Cleavers, a little mutton and oatmeal is good to cause lankness and keepe from fatnesse.”

*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.

MHG Volunteer Blog: Week 13 - English Daffodil

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.

31 March 2025

One of the benefits of the Medieval Herb Garden is that it is south-facing. Unfortunately, this means that there is no sheltering shade. As we have had the driest March since 1961, the soil has already turned to concrete! This makes weeding hard work.

Carole was busy weeding, and talking to a lovely couple of visitors from Sydney, Australia. Dave finished digging the trench, designed to separate the MHG from the spoil heap of the gatehouse excavations. James and Kaidan watered the plants in the various planters around the site, as well as the rosemary growing on the drystone wall below the keep. It is looking quite well this year.

Rosemary growing on the drystone wall below the castle keep

The 'keep bank', under the variegated beech tree, looks its best at this time of year. Dandelions, primroses, daisies, lungwort, dog violets and even wild strawberries, which have self-seeded from the MHG, are all in flower together.

Dog violets in bloom at Pontefract Castle

The last of the rhubarb was put on sale. It's there along with a tray of true valerian and some golden rod. For you budding 'natural dyers' out there, there's also some woad plants!

(Interested in finding out more? We've still got some spaces on our upcoming family Colour Chemistry from Nature's Rainbow workshops)

Plant of the week: English Daffodil, Lent Lily (narcissus pseudonarcissus)

More pale and delicate than modern cultivars, the English daffodil has many local names. These include wild daffodil, lent lily, chalice flower, averill, daffodilly, and even daffodowndilly.

The botanical name of 'narcissus' is often thought to come from Greek myth. Narcissus was a beautiful, but vain, young man who died whilst trying to embrace his image reflected in a clear pool. However, it actually comes from the Greek word 'narkao' (to benumb). This is because of the narcotic properties which the plant possesses.

The wild daffodil is often found in exposed or sheltered, damp woodland and meadows, especially ancient woodland. It is a bulbous perennial from Western Europe. It can grow in most soil types but it should be moist, and well-drained. The leaves are long, narrow and flat with a grey-green colour which rise from the stem. The flowers have a trumpet-shaped tube at the centre in a warm, egg-yolk yellow, surrounded by pale yellow tepals. They are 4 to 6cm wide.

Unless 'dead headed' daffodils will produce seeds. When germinated, these can take five to seven years to produce a flowering plant.

English daffodils growing at Pontefract Castle

Culinary uses of daffodils

Daffodils contain the alkaloid poison lycorine. This means that there are no culinary uses of this plant.

Folklore and other facts about daffodils

The daffodil is the county flower of Gloucestershire.

In some cultures, daffodils represent new beginnings and rebirth. This makes them a popular flower for spring celebrations and festivals. Daffodils are closely associated with the celebration of Easter, symbolising hope and new life.

Daffodils are a symbol of Wales. This is because they flower around the 1st of March each year, just in time for St David’s Day (the patron saint of Wales). In Welsh, the daffodil is actually called 'Cenhinen Bedr' (Peter's Leek).

In the 1910s, Prime Minister David Lloyd George led to daffodils becoming a popular symbol. He advocated that daffodils were used in Prince Edward's (later Edward VIII) investitutre ceremony as Prince of Wales. Lloyd George was of Welsh descent.

The sub-species known as the Tenby Daffodil ('narcissus pseudonarcissus ssp. obvallaris') is the 'true' St David’s Day daffodil. It grows in the wild across South Wales. It is notable because the flower is completely yellow.

Before this, the leek was a much more common emblem worn by Welsh people. The origin of this likely dates back to the Battle of Crécy in 1346. Welsh archers defeated French soldiers in a field of leeks. Back home, leeks were worn to honour their bravery. This became a yearly tradition on St David’s Day. 

Medieval uses*

All parts of a daffodil are slightly poisonous. Despite this, they were commonly used in historic herbal remedies to treat colds, coughs, and congestion. They were believed to help loosen mucus and alleviate symptoms of respiratory tract infections. Daffodils have also been used in the elimination of excess fluids from the body. They have been used as a natural remedy for skin conditions like dermatitis and eczema, due to their anti-inflammatory properties.

In 1597, John Gerard wrote that, “Galen saith, that the roots of Narcissus have such wonderful qualities in drying, that they confound and glue together very great wounds, yea and such gashes or cuts as happen about the veins, sinews, and tendons.”

*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.

MHG Volunteer Blog: Week 12 - Cowslip

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.

24 March 2025

The weather started to warm up today! Dave continued to dig the trench to separate the MHG from the spoil heap of the excavated gatehouse. This is an attempt to create a “fire-break” from the ever-encroaching weeds.

There was a backdrop of an incredibly loud buzz of bees from the rosemary. Carole pruned the southernwood and blackcurrant sage bushes. She offered pieces of them to children from a local school who were visiting. The children were able to smell plants that they would not normally be able to reach. 

The rosemary bushes in the Medieval Herb Garden, full of busy, buzzy bees

Carole chopped back the fennel. She then potted on some verbena bonariensis, which will probably go on sale in a few weeks’ time. She rewrote the labels for the valerian (true valerian, not the red type which grows like a weed all over the place). This will go on sale next week. She also put out some more rhubarb on the plant barrow.

Plant of the week: Cowslip, Palsy Wort, Key Flower (primula veris)

Cowslip's specific name comes from 'primula', from the latin 'primus' (first), and 'veris', meaning spring.  By the 16th century they were known as 'cowslips'. This comes from the original old English 'cowslop', because the plant was usually found in cow pastures by cow pats.

The cowslip is a perennial evergreen plant. It has coarsely toothed leaves which form 6 to 15cm rosettes. It has a flowering height of up to 25cm. 

It has 10 to 30 yellow blooms, dotted with orange spots, on single, hairy stems. These flower in spring. Cowslip has a short, strong tap root and thick fibrous rhizomes. Through these it can hibernate over winter. It prefers sandy or chalky soil, which is low in nitrogen, in sun or partial shade.

Cowslip growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

Culinary uses of cowslips

Cowslips smell a bit like apricots. The flowers have a citrus flavour.

Young cowslip leaves used to be eaten in country salads and mixed with other herbs to stuff meat. The flowers were made into a delicate conserve. Cowslips are still used in salads in Spain. 

In England, the flowers are used to flavour wine and vinegar. However, be aware that cowslip wine can be slightly narcotic!

Folklore and other facts about cowslips

In Norse mythology, cowslips were thought to be the key to entering the goddess Freyja’s palace. In Christianity the flower was linked to the Virgin Mary. It became known as 'Mary’s Keys'.

In the Middle Ages cowslip was also known as 'St Peter’s Herb' or 'Petronella'. It was said to have sprung up from the ground where St Peter dropped the keys to Heaven, shocked that people were sneaking into Heaven.

In Wales, long cowslip stalks are said to predict a wet summer, and short stalks predict a dry summer.

In Ireland, on Beltane (May Day) farmers would smear cowslip juice on the udders of cattle. This was intended to protect the milk from being stolen by supernatural means.

Cowslips are picked on Midsummer’s Eve to protect from evil spirits.

In the Victorian language of flowers they represent beauty and grace.

Medieval uses of cowslips*

Celtic Druids used to add cowslips in potions to help with the absorption of other herbs. When mixed with thyme it was used against bronchitis.

In the Middle Ages cowslips were “commended against the pain of the joints called the gout, and slackness of the sinews, which is the palsy. The decoction of the roots is thought to be profitably given against the stone in the kidneys and bladder; and the juice of the leaves for members that are loose and out of joint, or inward parts that are hurt, rent, or broken” (from Gerard's 'Herbal').

They believed that “the flowers are held to be more effectual than the leaves, and the roots of little use. An ointment being made with them, taketh away spots and wrinkles of the skin, sun-burning, and freckles, and adds beauty exceedingly; they remedy all infirmities of the head coming of heat and wind, as vertigo, ephialtes, false apparitions, phrenzies, falling sickness, palsies, convulsions, cramps, and pains in the nerves”.

However, cowslips can cause nausea, diarrhoea or skin irritation if you are susceptible to saponins, IBS or sensitive skin.

*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.

New display by the Children in Care Council

We have recently installed a new display in The Wall @ Create café display space. We are very proud to be hosting the We are… exhibition by the Children in Care Council.

The We are... exhibition in Create café

We are... features work produced by and on behalf of care-experienced young people from the Wakefield District.

Children live in care away from their birth families for many reasons. This can cause significant trauma and barriers. 

We Are… is an invitation to listen, understand, and stand together with the young people of our care-experienced community.

One of the artworks on display

The Children in Care Council:

• Work with adults to help them understand and support young people
• Co-produce celebration events such as the Care4Us Awards and Care Leavers’ Week
• Enjoy a range of participation activities

Get to know the young care-experienced community in their video introducing the We are… exhibition.

The exhibition was first displayed at Anglers Country Park in 2024. A selection of the works is now on display in the Create café in Wakefield One, 10 March to 16 May 2025. 

Some of the photos in the display show the young people taking part in forest-based activities with Countryside Officers. They also planted flowers and created spider habitats.

At Pontefract Castle, the young people worked with our team to design and deliver an exciting escape room activity.

They even created a time capsule that is now buried at Pontefract Castle. It contains a record of the work they’ve done to challenge stereotypes about children in care. When it’s opened in 100 years, people will find out about the young people’s identities, their hopes and dreams. 

The time capsule ready to be buried at Pontefract Castle

During the activities, the group also discuss different topics that matter to them. These include the importance of siblings getting to grow up together and the role of good and bad rules in their lives. 

They made a series of short films exploring these issues:

Watch the full We are… playlist to hear more from the Children in Care Council.

Visit the We are… display in the Wall @ Create Café space, inside Wakefield One, until 16 May 2025.

Fostering Wakefield

Did you know that there is a national shortage of Foster Carers?

When you foster, you don’t just care for a child, you help change their life.

By offering love, support, and guidance, you have the power to create lasting positive impact on their future. Fostering Wakefield are here to support you in every role you take on.

Enquire today at Fostering Wakefield

As a fostering friendly employer, Wakefield Council support our employees to make a difference, enabling them to balance employment with looking after children. 

Nearly 40% of foster carers combine fostering with other work. Those who do, say that a supportive employer can make all the difference. 

At Wakefield Council, we have fostering friendly HR policies for all our foster carers. This includes offering carers flexible working and paid time off for training and settling a new child into their home. 

Being a fostering friendly employer means we can improve support for staff, making workplaces friendlier for foster carers, benefiting the children in their care and also making it easier for people to consider fostering.

If you want to know a bit more about fostering with us, get in touch with the team: fostering@wakefield.gov.uk

MHG Volunteer Blogs: Week 11 - Violet

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.

17 March 2025

Well, it was another cold start today. While Helen weeded all the planters on site, Dave collected fallen branches from the MHG.

After a bit of selective weeding, Carole relocated some self-seeded golden feverfews and daisies. She then moved them nearer to their parent plants. Carole also planted out some prostrate rosemary cuttings, from last year, on the main wall and the dry-stone wall. They will replace those that had died unexpectedly.

We now have more rhubarb plants for sale along with a tray of columbines (aquilegia).

Rhubarb plants and columbines for sale on the barrow

Although it’s not the 'Plant of the Week', the white comfrey is looking remarkably healthy for the time of year.

The white comfrey bush in the MHG

Plant of the Week – Violet (viola odorata) Sweet or English Violet

The name 'violet' originates from the Latin 'viola', which means purple, via the old French 'violette'.

The violet is a perennial plant from Europe and Western Asia. It is rhizomatous, which means it has an underground stem that can produce shoots and roots. 

It forms a loose mat of heart-shaped leaves with a height of 15cm and a spread of 30cm. It will tolerate full sun or partial shade, in any type of moist but well-drained soil. 

It produces fragrant, violet flowers which are 2cm across. It tends to flower in late Autum and early Spring (although they are a little late this year). They readily self-seed as can be seen in the MHG.

Violets growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

Culinary uses of violets

As far back as 1885, a study compared violet leaf vitamin C content to that of oranges and vitamin A content to that of spinach. The leaves, if collected in spring, contain twice as much vitamin C as the same weight of orange. They can also contain more than twice the amount of vitamin A, gram for gram, when compared with spinach.

When newly opened, viola flowers may be used to decorate salads. They can be used in stuffings for poultry or fish. The young leaves are edible, raw or cooked, as a mild-tasting leaf vegetable.

A candied violet is preserved by a coating of egg white and crystallised sugar. Alternatively, hot syrup is poured over the fresh flower and stirred until the sugar recrystallizes and has dried. They are used for decorating cakes or trifles or included in aromatic desserts.

Violet flower vinegar can be used with salads and marinades. Flowers stirred into fresh yogurt and left overnight enhance the taste.

However, care should be taken when using violets for culinary purposes. Over-indulgence can sometimes cause acute stomach upset, high blood pressure, nervousness and breathing problems.

Folklore and other facts about violets

In Greek mythology, Zeus had a lover named Io. In a fit of jealousy, his wife Hera turned her into a white heifer. Zeus created violets to give her something lovely to graze upon.

Violet is the traditional birth flower for February in English tradition. It was Queen Victoria’s favourite flower.

The smell of violets used to be so loved in Britain and France that violet sellers were a common sight on street corners in Spring. People bought little posies for buttonholes and long-stemmed hybrids to put in vases. In 1881, six million bunches of violets were sold in Paris.

In America, there are accounts of Native Americans using violets in cancer treatments.

Medieval uses of violets*

The Ancient Greeks were obsessed with violets. They wore crowns of violets to relieve headaches, cure insomnia, promote sleep and serenity, and stimulate pleasant dreams.

In Macer’s 'Herbal' (10th century) the violet is among the many herbs which were considered powerful against “wykked spirits”.

Violets have been used to make perfume since ancient Greece. They were also used to create early household deodorants in medieval Britain.

According to the herbalist John Gerard in 1597: “The flowers are good for all inflammations, especially of the sides and lungs; they take away the hoarseness of the chest, the ruggedness of the windpipe and jaw, allay the extreme heat of the liver, kidney, and bladder; mitigate the fiery heat of burning agues; temper the sharpness of choler, and take away thirst … Syrup of violets is good against the inflammation of the lungs and breast, against the pleurisy and cough, against fevers and agues in young children.”

*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.

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.