Nature Table: Colt's-foot

Colt’s-foot is one of the first wild flowers of spring, usually starting to bloom in February. It is common and widespread, often growing on waste ground or road verges.

It’s a perennial member of the daisy family with golden-yellow flowers that are sun-shaped and grow on pinkish stems. They appear before the heart-shaped leaves break bud. The flowers can make a popular country wine and the leaves can be fried with sesame seeds.

There is a U-shaped joint where the leaf stalk joins the leaf which looks a bit like a miniature horse’s hoof, which explains the English name. The botanical name is Tussilago farfara, a reference to its use as a herbal cough medicine (‘tussis’ is Latin for cough and ‘ago’ means ‘to act on’). In Irish folk medicine colt’s-foot tea is also recorded as being a cure for asthma and sore throats. However, toxic alkaloids that can cause liver damage have been found in it so it should be used with caution. There is a cultivated variety that doesn’t contain the alkaloids.