Coltsfoot (tussilago farfara)

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Other names for coltsfoot

coltsfoot

Synopsis of coltsfoot

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) is a perennial herb in the Asteraceae (daisy) family, native to Europe, parts of Asia, and North Africa, and naturalized in North America. It is one of the earliest blooming spring plants, with bright yellow dandelion-like flowers that emerge before the leaves. The plant's botanical name Tussilago derives from the Latin “tussis,” meaning cough, a nod to its historical use as a respiratory remedy.

The leaves and flowers of coltsfoot contain a variety of medicinal compounds, including mucilage, flavonoids, tannins, and sesquiterpenes. These constituents give coltsfoot its primary actions: demulcent (soothing), antitussive (cough-suppressing), expectorant, anti-inflammatory, and mild antispasmodic. Traditionally, it has been used to ease dry, irritating coughs, bronchitis, sore throats, hoarseness, laryngitis, and asthma—particularly when the cough is dry or spasmodic.

Coltsfoot’s high mucilage content coats the throat and respiratory passages, soothing irritation and reducing the reflex to cough. Its expectorant action helps loosen and expel mucus. It is most often prepared as a tea, syrup, tincture, or herbal smoke, although smoking coltsfoot is discouraged in modern practice due to lung sensitivity and toxicity concerns.

However, coltsfoot also contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), which can be hepatotoxic (liver-damaging) in large or prolonged doses. While low-PA or PA-free cultivars and extracts exist, coltsfoot use is restricted or banned in some countries unless processed to remove PAs.

Historical Use
Coltsfoot has been used medicinally for thousands of years, with its therapeutic reputation stretching across European, Roman, Chinese, and Native American traditions. It was listed in the pharmacopeias of ancient Greece and Rome, where physicians like Dioscorides and Galen recommended it for coughs, chest congestion, and lung ailments.

In medieval Europe, coltsfoot was considered a premier respiratory herb. Apothecaries even used its image as a symbol for herbal respiratory medicine on shop signs. The dried leaves were smoked or burned and inhaled as a remedy for wheezing and labored breathing, similar to how mullein is used.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, a related species (Tussilago farfara, known as kuan dong hua) is still used today to moisten the lungs, transform phlegm, and stop cough, especially in formulas for chronic bronchitis and dry, persistent cough.

Historically, coltsfoot tea was given to children, the elderly, and singers for soothing the voice and lungs. Combined with other herbs like licorice, marshmallow, or thyme, it featured in countless traditional cough syrups and lozenges.

Today, coltsfoot is still used in traditional Western herbalism, though with more caution due to the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Its legacy remains as a powerful lung-soothing and cough-relieving plant, best used short-term or in PA-free extracts under professional guidance.

Coltsfoot is used for these health conditions

Asthma (Traditional)
Bronchitis (Traditional)
Congestion (Traditional)
Congestion (bronchial) (Traditional)
Congestion (lungs) (Traditional)
Congestion (sinus) (Traditional)
Cough (damp) (Traditional)
Cough (general) (Traditional)
Cough (spastic) (Traditional)
Sore Throat (Traditional)
Wheezing (Traditional)

coltsfoot is used to support these body systems

Bronchials (Traditional)
Digestive System (Traditional)
Gastrointestinal Tract (Traditional)
Lungs (Traditional)
Mucus Membranes (Traditional)
Respiratory System (Traditional)
Sinuses (Traditional)
Skin (Traditional)
Vocal Cords (Traditional)