# White Butterbur (*Petasites albus*)

White Butterbur is a big leafy plant that grows near water. It has large, round leaves and pretty flowers that look like fluffy clouds in springtime.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Wetlands

![White Butterbur](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Petasites_albus_a1.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Opioła Jerzy, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Petasites_albus_a1.jpg)

## Appearance

The White Butterbur has charming clusters of creamy-white flowers that emerge on sturdy stalks, often before any leaves appear. Its later-developing leaves are exceptionally large and kidney-shaped, giving it a distinctive umbrella-like appearance.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Asteraceae
- **Genus:** Petasites

## Interesting facts

- Its flowers are like little snowdrifts, often appearing when patches of snow are still on the ground!
- The leaves can become so large that people once used them to wrap fresh butter!
- This plant can grow in places other plants find too shady, making it a forest floor superstar!
- White Butterbur often smells a bit like honey, attracting some of the first flying insects!

## Special abilities

- **Early Bird Bloom:** White Butterbur can bloom in very early spring, often pushing through snow, helping it capture sunlight before other plants wake up.
- **Sun-Snatching Leaves:** White Butterbur has giant, umbrella-like leaves that unfurl later, allowing it to collect lots of sunshine in shady, damp places.
- **Underground Explorer:** White Butterbur can spread quickly using hidden underground stems called rhizomes, helping it claim new territory easily.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 20-50 cm
- **Spread:** 30-100 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Provides early nectar for queens.
- **Pollinates:** Ashy Mining Bee (*Andrena cineraria*) — An important early spring bee visitor.
- **Eaten by:** [Black Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Slugs may occasionally munch its leaves.
- **Shelter:** Common Frog (*Rana temporaria*) — Its large leaves offer shade and cover.

## 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.
- [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.
- [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.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not touch or eat any plants without asking an adult first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify White 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 White Butterbur?

20-50 cm

### How wide does White Butterbur spread?

30-100 cm

### How big are the flowers on White Butterbur?

0.5-1 cm

### When does White Butterbur bloom?

Spring

### Is White Butterbur edible?

No

### Is White Butterbur toxic?

Mild

### What is White Butterbur's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Bavarian Forest Nature Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bavarian-forest-nature-park) — Bayern, DE · Park

## 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*)

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Source: [White Butterbur: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-butterbur)