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Coltsfoot
Tussilago farfara
Coltsfoots, the first showy flower to appear in
Wildwood in the spring, are already starting to bloom. The large, dandelion-like flowers
appear in March, poking up through the leaf litter of the previous
fall, on fat downy white stalks. At this time, they have only
small, reddish, scale-like leaves on the stems, visible in the
picture at left. Larger, green, heart-shaped leaves, with
irregular edges, appear later, after the flowers have gone to seed,
and persist through the summer. The seeds are also
dandelion-like, as seen in the picture below.
Coltsfoots, and dandelions, for that matter, are in
the Asteraceae, the Sunflower Family. We met a number of
members of that family as Species of the Week, last year. It
is one of the most common families in the Park. However,
members of this family tend to be autumn-bloomers. Coltsfoot
is unusual in blooming early in the spring. Members of the
Asteraceae have two kinds of flowers, as we saw last year.
What most people think of as the flower, is really a cluster of
flowers, tubular disc flowers in the center, and long strap-shaped
ray flowers around them. Coltsfoots have both kinds of
flowers, about 100 to 300 ray flowers surrounding about 20 to 40
disc flowers. Both kinds of flowers are bright yellow, as seen
in the picture at the bottom. Interestingly, coltsfoot "flowers"
close up at night.
Coltsfoots are perennials, coming up year after year
from the roots. The roots spread each year, forming an ever
expanding colony. In Wildwood, there is a colony in the wide
quarried area just past the gate. It is on the eastern side of
this wide area, at the base of the cliffs. The plants may also
be found along Wildwood drive, and along the Riverway, at the north
bridge. There is also a cluster very near Main Street, under
the cliffs north of the weeping tufa formation.
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