Maine Wildflowers: Colt's Foot Provides Food for Early Bees and Butterflies

Colt's Foot ©Nannette Richford

The lowly Colt's Foot (Tussilago farfara) flower is often overlooked as it grows in early spring along roadsides and ditches. From a distance it looks like a dandelion, but when you take a closeup look at this flower, you will be amazed by it's beauty.

Colt's Foot ©Nannette Richford

Colt's Foot is a composite flower, which means what we commonly call the flower or bloom is really made up of hundreds of tiny flowers. Ray flowers (that look like petals) make up the outer rim of the flower, while the center eye of the flower contains hundreds of complete flowers.

Colt's Foot ©Nannette Richford

When the Colt's Foot flower first opens, you will see tiny yellow buds in the center, but within a day or two the tiny buds open to reveal miniature flowers that remind me of daffodils.

Colt's Foot flowers provide nectar and pollen to hungry bees and flying insects in the spring before many other flowers have bloomed.