Trending: colt's-foot (Tussilago farfara) — 426 observations this week
iNaturalist Community
Phenology
Those bright yellow daisy-like flowers pushing up through bare soil in early spring — often mistaken for dandelions — are colt's-foot, and spotting them in your neighborhood means pollinators are actively foraging weeks before most flowers open.
Colt's-foot is one of the very first wildflowers to bloom each spring, sending up bright yellow flowers on scaly stems before any leaves appear — which is unusual and makes it easy to identify. This week, over 400 people across the world photographed and recorded it on the nature-tracking app iNaturalist, making it one of the most watched plants of the moment. It's a sign that spring is truly arriving, and that early bees and other insects now have a rare early food source.
Key Findings
426 research-grade observations of colt's-foot were submitted to iNaturalist in a single week, placing it among the most observed plant species globally for that period.
Colt's-foot (Tussilago farfara) is one of the earliest spring bloomers in temperate regions, flowering before its leaves emerge — a phenological trait that makes it a reliable seasonal indicator.
The spike in observations reflects active citizen-science engagement with early spring phenology, providing real-time data on bloom timing across the Northern Hemisphere.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Colt's-foot, a cheerful yellow wildflower that blooms before its leaves appear, is surging in citizen-science observations this week with 426 research-grade sightings recorded on iNaturalist — signaling that spring phenology is well underway across the Northern Hemisphere.
Abstract Preview
colt's-foot is among the most observed plant species this week with 426 research-grade observations.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Street trees cut heat deaths by 39 percent in European cities
Trees in your local park or street aren't just pretty — they are literally keeping people alive during heatwaves, and planting even a modest number of the ri...
Tussilago farfara, commonly known as coltsfoot, is a plant in the tribe Senecioneae in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe and parts of western and central Asia. The name "tussilago" is derived from the Latin tussis, meaning cough, and ago, meaning to cast or to act on. It has had uses in tra...