Petasites japonicus

Botanical Description

Petasites japonicus is a vigorous, spreading, herbaceous perennial plant with a rhizomatous rootstock. A clump of large leaves 40cm or more across on petioles up to 60cm high are produced from the rhizomes. The plant sends up flowering stems in late winter before any leaves are produced, the leaves appearing in early spring[ K Title Plants for a Future Author Ken Fern Description Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is sometimes cultivated as a food crop in eastern Asia and the leaf petioles are often sold in local food markets[ 58 Title Flora of Japan. (English translation) Publication Author Ohwi. G. Publisher Smithsonian Institution Year 1965 ISBN - Description The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader. , 1665 Title Wild Food Plants in South Korea; Market Presence, New Crops, and Exports to the United States Publication Economic Botany, Vol. 50, No. 1 (Jan. - Mar., 1996), pp. 57-70 Author Pemberton R.W. & Nam Sook Lee Website http://www.jstor.org/stable/4255805 Publisher Year 1996 ISBN Description ]. The plant is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental, valued especially for its flowering in late winter, and it can be used as a groundcover. A very invasive plant, its roots are very difficult to eradicate[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. The plant has often escaped from cultivation and has become naturalized in many areas.