# Tussilago
**Tussilago** L. is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the aster family ([Asteraceae](https://www.edgepedia.org/asteraceae)); its only accepted species is *Tussilago farfara* L., the coltsfoot of temperate Europe and Asia[1](https://plantaedb.com/taxa/phylum/angiosperms/order/asterales/family/asteraceae/subfamily/asteroideae/tribe/senecioneae/genus/tussilago). The genus and species were both published by Linnaeus in *Species Plantarum* 2: 865 on 1 May 1753, with *T. farfara* designated as the type of the genus[2](https://www.ipni.org/n/30006161-2) • [3](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/256904-1). The name derives from the Latin *tussis*, meaning "a cough", plus the suffix *-ago*, meaning "to act on", a reference to the plant's medicinal use against coughs[4](https://fermanagh.bsbi.org/tussilago-farfara-l).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Taxonomy | Monotypic genus in Asteraceae; sole species *Tussilago farfara* L., first published in Sp. Pl.: 865 (1753)[1](https://plantaedb.com/taxa/phylum/angiosperms/order/asterales/family/asteraceae/subfamily/asteroideae/tribe/senecioneae/genus/tussilago) • [3](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/256904-1) |
| Native range | Temperate Eurasia to North Africa and the Himalaya; a perennial growing primarily in the temperate biome[3](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/256904-1) |
| Traditional use | Long used in folk medicine for respiratory disorders and consumed as a vegetable in many parts of the world[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/) |
| Phytochemistry | Approximately 150 compounds identified, including sesquiterpenes, triterpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, chromones, and pyrrolizidine alkaloids[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/) |
| Toxic constituents | 10 pyrrolizidine alkaloids reported, including senkirkine and senecionine, which are known for toxic reactions in humans[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/) |
| Quality control | The Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015) uses tussilagone (TSL) as a marker, requiring more than 0.07% (w/w)[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/) |
| Status in North America | Nonnative and classified as invasive; present in the United States as early as 1840 and in Canada in the 1920s[6](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/tusfar) |
## Taxonomy and nomenclature
Linnaeus published *Tussilago* in *Species Plantarum* 2: 865, dated 1 May 1753, in the family Asteraceae; *T. farfara* was later designated as the type species[2](https://www.ipni.org/n/30006161-2). Kew's Plants of the World Online accepts *Tussilago farfara* L. and lists 11 synonyms, including the homotypic names *Cineraria farfara* (L.) Bernh. (1800) and *Petasites farfara* (L.) Baill. (1882), and heterotypic names such as *Tussilago vulgaris* Lam. (1779) and *Tussilago alpestris* Hegetschw. (1840)[3](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/256904-1). The specific epithet *farfara* may reflect that Farfara Gilib. was a previous name for the genus, retained as the epithet[4](https://fermanagh.bsbi.org/tussilago-farfara-l).
## Distribution and habitat
The native range of *Tussilago farfara* extends across temperate Eurasia to North Africa and the Himalaya, from the [British Isles](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-isles) east to Siberia, north to the [Arctic Circle](https://www.edgepedia.org/arctic-circle), and south to the [Himalayas](https://www.edgepedia.org/himalayas)[3](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/256904-1) • [6](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/tusfar). Although not native to North America, the plant reaches its greatest abundance in the eastern United States, with a range extending from Minnesota down to Tennessee, over to North Carolina, and up through Maine; it is also established in southern Ontario, southern Quebec, the Canadian Maritime provinces, southwestern British Columbia, and Vancouver Island.[6](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/tusfar) It was probably introduced to the United States by early European settlers for its medicinal properties[6](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/tusfar).
Coltsfoot establishes on open, disturbed sites such as roadsides, ditches, and cultivated fields, and grows best in low-lying moist areas in cool climates, though it tolerates soils with pH from 4.6 to 10 and textures from sands to clays[6](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/tusfar). Its ability to dominate disturbed areas is attributed to high seed production, fast vegetative spread, and tolerance of a wide range of environmental conditions[6](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/tusfar).
## Traditional and medicinal use
Coltsfoot has long been used as a folk medicine to treat respiratory disorders and is consumed as a vegetable in many parts of the world[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/). In the United States, the root has been valued for debilitated coughs, whooping cough, and humid forms of asthma; in Norway, dried and cut leaves are sold and used in teas for the relief of coughs and chest complaints[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/). In China, the earliest record of the plant appeared in *Chu Ci* (楚辞), and the flower buds were first used as medicine in the *Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing* (神农本草经) of the Qin and Han periods[7](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874120301227). Uses across regions show similarities, particularly for relieving inflammatory conditions and respiratory and infectious diseases[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/).
## Phytochemistry and pharmacology
Approximately 150 phytochemicals have been isolated from coltsfoot, grouped as sesquiterpenes, triterpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, chromones and their derivatives, alkaloids, and other constituents[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/). Tussilagone (TSL) and caffeoylquinic acid derivatives are considered the main bioactive components[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/). Studies of constituents and crude extracts report anti-inflammatory, neuro-protective, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and cardiovascular activities, though the review literature notes that well-designed in vivo studies are still needed to link traditional uses to these bioactivities[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/).
## Toxicity and regulation
Traditionally coltsfoot was graded as non-toxic, but its pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) have become a public concern because of their toxicity. Ten PAs have been reported in the plant, notably senkirkine and senecionine, which are known for toxic reactions in humans; seneciphylline, integerrimine, senecivernine, tussilagine, and related compounds have also been identified[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/). The PA concentration varies widely among plants, and cultivation of a PAs-free variety has been developed in Austria[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/).
In rat studies, a 4-week oral administration of coltsfoot water extract (20 and 40 g kg−1) produced significant pathological changes in females, with increased liver organ coefficient, and total alkaloids raised levels of alanine transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase, indicating hepatotoxic effects[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/). Regulatory limits first set by the German Federal Ministry of Health in 1992 restricted exposure from PA-producing herbs to 1 µg/day over six weeks, reduced to 0.1 µg/day for longer use, while an increased exposure of 10 µg/day was accepted for herbal infusions or decoctions of *Tussilago farfara*[8](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7290370/). Adverse events have also resulted from collection of the wrong plant containing PAs, making correct botanical identification a precondition for quality control[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/).
## Quality control
The Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015) designates tussilagone (TSL) as the quality-control marker for coltsfoot, requiring a content above 0.07% (w/w); because quantifying TSL by UV detection is unreliable, absolute quantification by UHPLC-MRMHR has been proposed[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/). Other validated methods include an LC-[ESI-MS/MS](https://www.edgepedia.org/esi-ms-ms) approach quantifying 11 compounds and characterizing 74 oplopane- and bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoids[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/).
## Invasiveness
In North America coltsfoot is classified as invasive, though assessments have found it had no more than a moderate impact on native vegetation in most fact sheets and weed guides; in 2004 a compilation of expert opinion from the northeastern and north-central United States indicated it was not currently known to be especially invasive[6](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/tusfar). It appears most invasive in grasslands and wetlands in the Upper Midwest and in lime seeps and disturbed sites in Massachusetts[6](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/tusfar). Some states list it as invasive and banned[9](https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Invasives/fact/ColtsFoot).
## References
1. [Tussilago L. (genus), species list and taxonomy, PlantaeDB](https://plantaedb.com/taxa/phylum/angiosperms/order/asterales/family/asteraceae/subfamily/asteroideae/tribe/senecioneae/genus/tussilago)
2. [Tussilago L., International Plant Names Index](https://www.ipni.org/n/30006161-2)
3. [Tussilago farfara L., Plants of the World Online, Kew Science](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/256904-1)
4. [Tussilago farfara L., Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (Fermanagh)](https://fermanagh.bsbi.org/tussilago-farfara-l)
5. [Chen S. and colleagues. A review of the ethnobotanical value, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity and quality control of Tussilago farfara L. (coltsfoot). PMC.](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7561605/)
6. [Innes, Robin J. 2011. Tussilago farfara, coltsfoot. Fire Effects Information System, USDA Forest Service.](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/tusfar)
7. [Farfarae Flos: A review of botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology. ScienceDirect.](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874120301227)
8. [Extracting and Analyzing Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in Medicinal Plants: A Review. PMC.](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7290370/)
9. [Colt's foot (Tussilago farfara), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources](https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Invasives/fact/ColtsFoot)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Plants and algae › Seed plants › Other flowering plants › Asterids › Campanulid families*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license