# Common Butterbur (*Petasites hybridus*) Common Butterbur is a big leafy plant that grows near water. It has large, heart-shaped leaves and pretty purple flowers that bloom in spring. It's a great plant for helping bees and butterflies! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Common Butterbur](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/20170512Petasites_hybridus2.jpg&width=800) Photo: AnRo0002, CC0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20170512Petasites_hybridus2.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Butterbur has large, heart-shaped to kidney-shaped leaves that can grow impressively wide, creating a lush ground cover. Before these leaves emerge, stout stems push up pinkish-purple flower clusters resembling mini-pinecones, often in dense patches. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Petasites ## Interesting facts - Butterbur can grow in super wet or even flooded ground where other plants struggle! - Its giant leaves were once used to wrap butter, giving this plant its unique name! - These brave plants are among the very first to bloom after winter snows melt! - Underground stems help it spread fast, creating huge patches of big, umbrella-like leaves! ## Special abilities - **Giant Leaf Canopy:** Common Butterbur has enormous leaves up to 60cm wide that shade out competitors, helping it dominate its growing space. - **Early Bird Bloomer:** Common Butterbur can flower very early in spring, providing a vital nectar and pollen source for hungry insects when few other plants are blooming. - **Underground Spreader:** Common Butterbur has powerful rhizomes that spread underground, allowing it to rapidly colonize large areas, even in challenging wet soils. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-70 cm - **Spread:** 50-100 cm - **Flower Size:** 3-10 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Moderate - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar and pollen from early blooms. - **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Feeds on one of spring's first flower sources. - **Eats:** Giant hoverfly (*Chilosia gigantea*) — Its larvae develop inside the plant's rhizomes. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Giant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/giant): Giant describes organisms or objects of significantly larger size than average for their species or type. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Do not touch or eat any plants without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Butterbur? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Common Butterbur? 30-70 cm ### How wide does Common Butterbur spread? 50-100 cm ### How big are the flowers on Common Butterbur? 3-10 cm ### When does Common Butterbur bloom? Spring ### Is Common Butterbur edible? No ### Is Common Butterbur toxic? Moderate ### What is Common Butterbur's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Queens Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/queens-botanical-garden) — New York, US · Botanical Garden - [Randolph Center Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/randolph-center-historic-district) — Vermont, US · Historic District ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Common Butterbur: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-butterbur)