A cough-relief herb from Europe is spreading through Newfoundland streets
iNaturalist: ggraydon
Invasive Species
If you spot yellow, dandelion-like flowers popping up on bare stems along a sidewalk crack in early spring before any leaves appear, you're likely looking at colt's-foot, and tracking where it shows up helps naturalists map how this introduced plant is moving into new neighborhoods.
Colt's-foot is a plant that came from Europe and now grows wild in parts of Canada, including this spot on Duckworth Street in St. John's. It's easy to recognize because its yellow flowers show up on bare stalks weeks before any leaves appear, and people have used it for centuries as a traditional cough remedy. This particular sighting was verified by other naturalists, so it counts as solid, research-grade data.
Key Findings
The observation was verified as 'research-grade' on iNaturalist, meaning multiple identifiers confirmed the species match.
Colt's-foot (Tussilago farfara) is a non-native species in Newfoundland and Labrador, introduced from Europe and Asia.
The sighting location, Duckworth Street in downtown St. John's, is a paved urban corridor, showing the plant's ability to colonize disturbed roadside habitat.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A confirmed sighting of colt's-foot, a fast-spreading non-native plant, was logged on a St. John's, Newfoundland street, adding to citizen-science data on where this early-blooming species has established itself in Canada.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
colt's-foot (Tussilago farfara) observed in Duckworth St, St. John's, NL, CA
Research-grade observation of colt's-foot in Duckworth St, St. John's, NL, CA.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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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...