Arrowleaf sweet coltsfoot, Arrow-leaved coltsfoot
Petasites saggitatus
Family: Asteraceae
What it is like
A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It has a thick creeping rootstock. The leaves are at the base. The leaf blades are arrow shape or shallowly lobed. They are 5-10 cm long. The flower stem is 16-30 cm long. It is thick, coarse and hairy. The flower stem appears before the leaves. The flowers are in a white disk. Several small flower heads appear in dense clusters at the end of the stem. The fruit is a dry achene.
Where it is found
It is a cool temperate plant. It grows in boggy places in the Rocky Mountains.
Countries/locations it is found in
Alaska, Canada, North America, USA
How it is used for food
The leaves are dried, burned and crushed to produce a salt like flavouring. The flower stems and flower buds are boiled or steamed and dressed with garlic butter. The flowers are also battered and fried. They are chopped and added to casseroles and soups.
Edible parts
Flowers, leaves, salt, stem