What Is Coltsfoot?

Coltsfoot is a common European herb that is often considered a weed when found growing wild. It has vibrant yellow flowers. Historically popular in France, many French pharmacists and herbalists at one time had decorative coltsfoot flowers painted on their buildings. The name ‘coltsfoot’ refers to the horseshoe shape of its leaves, like the foot of a colt.

How to Use Coltsfoot (Common Uses)

Coltsfoot can be taken internally as a tea, powder, capsules, or extract. Coltsfoot is often used in combination with other lung supportive herbs such as horehound and marshmallow root.

Medicinal Uses and Benefits of Coltsfoot

Coltsfoot is a gentle herb commonly used for short term coughing conditions and relief from wildfire smoke. It can be effective to help expel mucus and to reduce coughing. Coltsfoot has a high mucilage content, generally between 6% and 10%, making it especially beneficial for soothing sore and irritated throats. Coltsfoot is especially indicated for dry coughs.

Coltsfoot can be used on its own, however, you can also find it as an ingredient in our Cough and Cold Tea.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), coltsfoot is often used for respiratory conditions including coughs and mild asthma, although the coltsfoot varieties used may differ from those more commonly chosen for use in Western Herbalism.

Active Constituents in Coltsfoot

Rutin, hyperoside, isoquercetin, mucilage, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, triterpenes.

Notable Facts About Coltsfoot

The Latin name ‘farfara’ is derived from ‘farfarus’, a previous name for the white poplar, whose leaves bear resemblance to the color of coltsfoot leaf. When wildcrafted, coltsfoot can occasionally be confused with butterbur, which can appear similar before they have reached the flowering stage of their growth cycle.

Prior to the invention of matches, the loose woolly hairs on coltsfoot were used in combination with potassium nitrate as a fire starter. Goldfinches have been noted to use the woolly hairs as lining for their nests. Scottish highlanders have historically used coltsfoot as a stuffing for mattresses and pillows.

Historically, the leaves of coltsfoot were burned into ash and used as a substitute for salt.