Scientific Name:
Petasites japonicus
Pronunciation:
pet-uh-SY-tees juh-PON-ih-kus
Common Name:
giant butterbur
Family Name:
Asteraceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Leaves large, basal, and rounded (up to 80cm wide for P. var. gigantum); florets yellowish-white, fragrant, in daisy-like heads arranged in corymbs that appear in April before the leaves emerge from the soil.
Habit:
Arching
Form:
Vase
Texture:
Very coarse
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
S.E. Asia / Japan / China
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Bog
Water Use:
High
Landscape Uses:
Waterside planting, Wetland - bogs
Additional Info:
Google. Compare to European butterbur.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Basal
Texture/Venation:
Leathery, Palmate venation
Surfaces:
Tomentose
Colour in Fall:
Yellow, Brown
Shapes:
Reniform
Apices:
Rounded
Bases:
Cordate
Margins:
Serrate
Inflorescence Type:
Head (capitulum), Corymb-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Corolla Shape:
Tubular
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, White, Green-yellow
Flower Scent:
Fragrant
Flower Time at Peak:
Mar, Apr
Fruit Type:
Cypsela (achene + calyx)
Fruit Colour:
White, Silver
Fruiting Time:
May
Additional Info:
Showy,
Bark or Stem Colour:
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes
Propagation:
Seed, Division - below ground parts
Pest Susceptibility:
Slugs or snails (Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
