Petasites japonicus

(Siebold & Zucc.) Maxim.

Sweet coltsfoot, Butterbur, Bog rhubarb

Asteraceae Edible: Leaves, Petiole, Vegetable, Flowers, Caution Potential hazards — see below 6,576 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Source: Wikipedia

Petasites japonicus, also known as butterbur, giant butterbur, great butterbur, fuki and sweet-coltsfoot, is an herbaceous perennial plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to China, Japan, Korea and Sakhalin and introduced in Europe and North America. It was introduced to southern British Columbia in Canada by Japanese migrants. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers produced on separate individuals. Occasionally, morphologically hermaphroditic (but functionally sterile) flowers exist.

Description

A shrub. It has runners. It grows 1-1.2 m high. The leaves are large. They are kidney shaped. They are 1-1.2 m across. The flowers are greenish-white and in crowded heads. They appear before the leaves.

Edible Uses

The leaf stalks are cooked and used like rhubarb; they can grow up to 1.2 metres long. They may be boiled and seasoned, pickled and used in winter soups, preserved in miso, or boiled, dipped in cold water, peeled, and baked — giving a pleasant, fragrant taste. The flower buds have a slightly bitter yet agreeable flavour and are much prized in Japan; they can be eaten while still green with miso or boiled down in soy sauce. Young flowering stems are also eaten cooked. Nutritional composition per 100g of leaves (dry weight, 250 calories, 0% water): Protein 19.5g, Fat 2.8g, Carbohydrate 52.8g, Fibre 19.4g, Ash 25g; Calcium 1194mg, Phosphorus 556mg, Iron 2.8mg, Sodium 917mg, Potassium 12500mg; Vitamin A 278mg, Thiamine (B1) 0.56mg, Riboflavin (B2) 0.56mg, Niacin 5.56mg, Vitamin C 56mg.

Traditional Uses

The long leaf stalk is peeled and pickled in Japan. They are seasoned with salt or soy sauce. They are used in soups. The flower buds are used as a vegetable and condiment. They are eaten while still green. Caution: It contains chemicals that cause cancer. The flower stalks can affect the liver.

Medicinal Uses

The plant is antiasthmatic, antispasmodic, expectorant, and used as a poultice. A decoction is used in the treatment of chronic coughing, pulmonary deficiency, laboured or difficult breathing, asthma, constant sputum formation, and pulmonary tuberculosis.

Known Hazards

Like other Petasites species, fuki contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) which have been associated with cumulative damage to the liver and tumor formation. It also contains the carcinogenic PA petasitenine. The concentration of hepatotoxic PAs can be reduced to a concentration below detection limits with a proper extraction process. Since many alkaloids are bitter, traditional methods of preparation may have evolved to remove them.

Distribution

A temperate plant. It grows near ponds and streams. In Sichuan. It suits hardiness zones 5-10.

Where It Grows

Asia, Australia, Britain, Canada, China*, Europe, Japan*, Korea, Russia,

Cultivation

Plants are grown by division. They can be grown from seed.

Propagation

Sow seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe or in early spring, covering only lightly and keeping the compost moist. Prick seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle and plant out in summer. Division succeeds at almost any time of year. Larger divisions can go directly into permanent positions; smaller ones are better potted up and grown on in light shade in a cold frame until well established, then planted out in late spring or early summer.

Other Uses

The leaves of the subspecies P. japonicus giganteus are used as umbrellas by Japanese children, and the leaf stalks can serve as walking sticks. Plants can be grown as ground cover in damp, shady places, though they are too invasive for most gardens and should only be planted where they have plenty of room.

Other Information

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable.

Nutrition

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Leaf Stalks raw	94.5	59	14	0.4	5	32	0.1	0.2
Leaves	96.4	38	9	0.7	—	—	0.7	—
Leaf Stalks boiled	96.7	33	8	0.2	3	19	0.1	0.1

Synonyms

Nardosmia japonica Siebold & Zucc.Petasites albus A. GrayTussilago petasites Thunb.and others

Also Known As

Fuhi, Fuki, Giant butterbur, Japanese butterbur, Korkoni, Meowi, Mowi

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