If ever you have a dandelion without leaves, growing in a particularly tough environment, you have a completely different flower called Coltsfoot. But if the name Dandelion comes from the French, where does Coltsfoot originate?
Colstfoot grows its flowers early in spring, because it hopes to take advantage of all the emerging insects in serious need of a nectar fix.
The leaf of this plant is very large so if it grew at the same time as the flower, it would hide the very flowers it is trying to attract pollinating insects with.
The shape of the large, fuzzy leaf is horseshoe in shape, hence the name Colt’s Foot, a colt being a young male horse.
This plant has long been used by people and can still be found in Coltsfoot Rock, now recognised as a National Heritage Sweet (good for digestion).
So on your next journey to or from work, why not take a minute to take a closely look at what’s growing along the way – you may be surprised by what you find.
Don’t forget…
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