Arthur’s Butterbur

Latest sightings
Picture of Petasites japonicus × fragrans, Borde Hill
Petasites japonicus × fragrans, Borde Hill. Photo: Dawn Nelson

On Saturday 4 March the SBRS AGM was held as usual at Staplefield. I live right over near the Hampshire border and Jill Oalkley lives over the border; so we usually join forces for the drive. We decided this year to leave earlier and go to see a very special plant at Borde Hill.

Petasites japonicus × fragrans, Giant Butterbur x Winter Heliotrope is a new hybrid found by Arthur Hoare and since verified thanks to his hard work and determination.[1] It has escaped from the garden but is long established on a bank beside a track. It is so new it is not yet in the books, so has no official common name, but I like to call it Arthur’s Butterbur.

Picture of Petasites japonicus × fragrans, Borde Hill
Petasites japonicus × fragrans. Photo: Dawn Nelson

Arthur was kind enough to give us very precise directions on where to find it plus another rare garden escape Calocerus decurrens, California Incense-cedar that has self-sown into a ha ha, both are easy to find just outside the gardens and there is a nice café for refreshments too.

Picture of Calocerus decurrens (California Incense-cedar)
Calocerus decurrens (California Incense-cedar). Photo: Dawn Nelson
Picture of Calocerus decurrens (California Incense-cedar)
Calocerus decurrens (California Incense-cedar). Photo: Dawn Nelson

Reference

  1. Desjardins, S. D., Hoare, A. G., & Stace, C. A. (2016). A new natural hybrid in the genus Petasites: P. japonicus × P. pyrenaicus (Asteraceae). New Journal of Botany, 6(2-3), 64-70. doi:10.1080/20423489.2016.1271383

See also: Hoare, Arthur. “New to science: Petasites japonicus x P. fragrans.” Sussex Botanical Recording Society Newsletter, no. 82 (May 2016).