Coltsfoot Seed

Description

Tussilago farfara

Coltsfoot has bright yellow flowers on scaly stems, in early spring that look a bit like Dandelions. The thick leathery leaves emerge after the flowers have finished and are covered with a white-grey felt when young. This disappears from the topside as the leaves mature, but stays on the underside. It is a native perennial. Leaves were once smoked as a tobacco and paradoxically used as a cough medicine.  Flowers yield a yellow dye.

Coltsfoot is found growing in road verges and curb edges in poor gravelly soil and damp spots.

The seed germinates sporadically, doesn’t need light to germinate, but does better in the light. Cover seed very lightly with vermiculite. Might benefit from a pre-chill

Seed from Cheshire