Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Synonyms Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Petasites fragrans (Vill.) C. Presl

Synonyms

Tussilago fragrans Vill.

Family

Asteraceae (Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory)
Compositae (South Australia)

Common Names

Italian tussilage, sweet coltsfoot, sweet-scented coltsfoot, winter heliotrope

Origin

Native to northern Africa (i.e. northern Algeria and Tunisia) and Italy (including Sardinia and Sicily).

Naturalised Distribution

Naturalised in the cooler temperate regions of south-eastern Australia (i.e. in Tasmania and southern Victoria).

Also naturalised overseas in the UK and New Zealand.

Notes

Winter heliotrope (Petasites fragrans) is regarded as an environmental weed in Victoria and as a potential environmental weed or "sleeper weed" in other parts of southern Australia. It forms a dense groundcover of large leaves that block light from reaching the ground beneath them, effectively suppressing any potentially competitive plant growth.

This species has invaded damp and/or wet sclerophyll forests in Victoria and is seen as a serious threat to one or more vegetation formations in this state. It is also relatively common in wet gullies in Tasmania.