Pollinator plant

Giant butterbur

Petasites japonicus

Linked agroforestry plant data
Pollinator recipe
Sign in to use recipes

Common names

24 names · 18 languages
EnglishYour language
  • Butterbur
  • Fuki
  • Giant butterbur[1][2]
+2 more namesShow fewer names
  • Japanese Butterbur[1][2]
  • Sweet coltsfoot
Other languages (17)
Dutch
French
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Czech
  • devětsil japonský[2]
Danish
  • Japansk hestehov[2]
Finnish
  • idänruttojuuri[2]
Hungarian
  • Vörös keserűlapu[2]
Japanese
Japanese (romanized)
Korean
Lithuanian
  • Japoninis šaukštis[2]
Norwegian
  • japanpestrot[2]
Polish
  • lepiężnik japoński[2]
Russian
  • Белокопытник широкий[2]
Slovak
  • deväťsil japonský[2]
Swedish
  • Bitterskråp[2]
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Catalogue language labels are reviewed separately from botanical source records.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Petasites japonicus — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy. This is a common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Giant Butterbur — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • Japans hoefblad — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • Pétasite du Japon — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • Japanese Butterbur — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
[2] Petasites japonicus — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Giant Butterbur — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • Japans hoefblad — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • Pétasite du Japon — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • Japanese Butterbur — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • フキ — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • Fuki — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • devětsil japonský — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • Bitterskråp — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • Japansk hestehov — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • japanpestrot — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • Белокопытник широкий — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • idänruttojuuri — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • Japoninis šaukštis — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • 蜂斗菜 — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • 머위 — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • Vörös keserűlapu — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • 蜂斗菜 — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • 蕗 — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • 苳 — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • lepiężnik japoński — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
  • deväťsil japonský — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 129038; Petasites japonicus.
Plant references

Source-backed information

Published observations for this plant. Each reference supports the information beside it.

Taxonomy
Petasites japonicus is an accepted species in Catalogue of Life.

Taxonomic treatment in the August 2026 release; the catalogue record name is preserved.

Sources [1]
Botanical family
Asteraceae

Family in the cited taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Native range
China to Sakhalin and Nanei-shotō.

Explicit native locality records in Kew WCVP v16; introduced and doubtful distributions excluded. Continent conversion follows the documented geographic mapping.

Sources [2]
Catalogue ratings

Who this plant supports

Honey bees

Medium suitability
Nectar value Medium
Pollen value Medium
Agroforestry database

Complete plant information

Open full plant profile

Structure

Vegetation layer
Herbaceous, Ground cover
Size
Small
Dimensions
0.60 m high × 1.50 m wide
Growth rate
Fast
Lifecycle
Perennial

Site conditions

USDA hardiness
5-9
Moisture
Moist, Wet
Soil
Sandy, Loamy, Clay
pH
Acid, Neutral, Alkaline
Light
Shade, Partial shade, Sun

Uses

Edible parts
Flowers, Stem
Functions
Ground cover
Edibility
3 out of 5
Medicinal value
2 out of 5

Petiole can be cooked and eaten like rhubarb. The stems can grow up to 1.2 meters long and are suitable for various cooking methods, such as boiling, pickling for winter soups, and preserving with miso. Another option is to boil the stems, then plunge them in cold water, peel them, and sauté for a wonderfully fragrant taste. Flower buds can be boiled or used as a seasoning. With a slightly bitter yet pleasant flavor, they are popular in Japan. The flower buds can be eaten while still green, with miso or cooked in soy sauce. The young flowering stems can also be boiled and eaten.

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Catalogue of Life Petasites japonicus — Catalogue of Life COL26.8

    COL26.8 (2026-08-20). Contributing checklist: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World. This is taxonomic evidence, not an independent ecological study.

    Supports: TaxonomyBotanical family
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: NameUsage.tsv line 889223; ID 4FCZN; rank species; status accepted
    • Botanical family: NameUsage.tsv line 889223; ID 4FCZN; rank species; status accepted

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 4.0.

  2. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Petasites japonicus — Kew WCVP native distribution

    Native distribution and taxonomic treatment from the official WCVP v16 export (4 June 2026). The link opens the corresponding POWO taxon. Source rows are retained in the native-range audit archive.

    Supports: Native range
    Relevant sections
    • Native range: WCVP v16; wcvp_names.csv lines 469112; wcvp_distribution.csv native locality lines 1634472, 1634473, 1634474, 1634475, 1634476, 1634477, 1634478, 1634479

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.