Discovering an Odd Plant

On a recent trip to Castletown I decided to go explore the part of the grounds that run along the banks of the river liffey.  As it was a lovely day I thought it would be great to stroll along the river and listen to it babble over the rocks as I enjoyed the sunshine.

As I walked along the river I soon stumbled across this very strange looking flower growing out of the ground in a small clearing.

Butterbur3

I was very captivated by it as it was not like anything I had seen before! It was very strange and somewhat reminded me of an up-turned pineapple! Strange comparison I know but that is what it reminded me of!

Butterbur2

After I had examined the plant for a few minutes, I continued on my walk along the river. I had not walked five minutes though when I came across a much bigger one of these flowers. I was determined to find out what it was now!

Butterbur

After a bit of searching around on the internet, I finally found the name of this strange fella. It is called Petasites hybridus or Butterbur. It is a native plant that flowers from March to May and is then followed by some great looking foliage. It grows on damp sites and is commonly found along rivers and streams.

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