Petasites Japonicus

Ah, right, is it 'Hogweed' Dawn?

No Karen, its Butterbur although I do have Hogweed in the woodland. This flowers first, then the leaves begin to appear, the leaves are huge but only around 18" high, turn bronze in autumn and then die back to nothing until spring. Likes the damp edges of the brook and pond, invasive. I have this one with pink flowers and green leaves and the one with cream flowers and variegated leaves.

Yes, I like this pink one much better!

Me too when in flower but the flowers dont last long and then you are left with just the leaves and then the variegated ones are more attractive and less invasive.

This grows near a stream where we sometimes walk apparently it's good for Bronchitis and inflammation of urinary passages according to my healing plants book , there you have it another piece of useless information for today Lol ..

Used to have this in the garden 10 years ago, still around somewhere lol

I like the pink too Dawn, oh my I just googled to see how big the leaves get they're huge, just right though for beside your pond/lake ;-)

Lol Amy, so if I get bronchitis or cystitus I'll know where theres a cure.
Hope yours appears soon DD.
As you like big perennials Kathy, try some, although wide, not tall.

Ooooh Dawn stop teasing ;-) I'd love to try it but just don't know where I'd put one at the moment the pond edge is jam packed, now next year might be different the smaller pond in the front garden needs a bit of a sort out, think its got a leak :-( so no point planting anything else near it as it'll just get trampled, thankyou for the offer though very kind of you :-)

Such a pretty flower with great foliage.

Thanks for the name Dawn I have often wondered what this one is on my little walks;0)

Kathy, good look finding the leak :-)
Thanks Thrup.
Pansy, on your walks, how is it growing, next to water?

Very pretty! How they change though!

Perhaphs mine was "Hogweed" Dawn, I just know it looks very similar growin on the edges o fstreams?

Weird plants Jbardet.

Hi Pansy, hogweed flowers are tall stems later in the summer and the leaves are long rather than round and heavily serrated, hogweed is the bane of my life, lots in the wood, its like a vigorous cow parsley, got that too.

I rather like Cow Parsley too;)

Me too Pansy, when in leaf and flowering but a pain when you have to cut down the dead, woody, stems :-)