Asteraceae

Petasites frigidus

Coltsfoot

Stout erect stem with tight cluster of whitish to pink rayless flowers that open before leaves emerge. Flower stalks continue to lengthen as large leaves unfold. Leaves palmately divided, lobes coarsely toothed. Flowers in often purplish bell-shaped cup; male, female flowers in separate heads. Grows in bogs, stream edges, roadsides, other wet soils, at low elevations. Var. palmatus (pictured) has large leaves to 16 in. across with lobes deeply cut to base; blooms March, April. Var. nivalis has leaves less than 8 in. across, not deeply divided, with short or no teeth. Blooms July and August at high elevations, often immediately after snowmelt.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: Early Spring
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 12--24 inches
• Habitat: Vernal Wet, Coastal, Bog/Fen/Wetland, Subalpine, West-Side Forest
• Found In: Olympic Np, West Gorge, N Cascades Np
• Native: Yes