Petasites fragrans

RHS Plant Profile

winter heliotrope

RHS

Other common names

fragrant colt's foot

Herbaceous Perennial

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A spreading perennial with fleshy rhizomes producing a carpet of kidney-shaped leaves. Clusters of vanilla-scented, pale purple flowers appear from mid-winter to early spring, ahead of the leaves, providing a valuable early nectar source

Position

Full shade, Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 1-1.5 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Poorly–drained or Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full shade Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: South–facing or East–facing or North–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H4

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Asteraceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy, Matforming
Genus: Petasites are perennial plants, usually large, with thick rhizomes or stems. Leaves are often very large and either heart-shaped or kidney-shaded. Scapes or stems many-headed, with any leaves usually reduced to scales. Flowers dioecious in usually rayless heads, purple or white, rarely yellowish, borne in panicles or racemes at the ends of the scapes
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: N Africa

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grows easily in most soils, and large colonies can develop on roadsides or waste ground. Is a valuable source of early nectar but has the potential to become a nuisance in gardens by smothering other plants. See Butterbur and winter heliotrope for more information

Propagation

Divide in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wildlife gardens
Low Maintenance
Banks and slopes
Ground cover

Pruning

Remove the old foliage before the onset of new growth in late winter

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free