1 named cultivar

‘Variegatus’Japanese Butterbur Variegatus

perennial

Japanese Butterbur

The Story

Plant Bio

Petasites japonicus, butterbur or fuki, is a rhizomatous perennial from Korea, China and Japan, forming dense clumps to three feet high and five across. The huge rounded basal leaves are the display, sometimes two feet wide on long stalks. Fragrant yellowish-white flower heads push through bare ground in April, before any leaf appears.

It spreads aggressively by rhizome and will take a border if left loose in open ground, so plant it inside a sunken container or behind a solid barrier from the start rather than trying to reclaim ground later. Despite being eaten as fuki in Japan, the raw plant contains liver-toxic alkaloids and should not be treated as a casual edible.

Uses & Benefits:

Enormous rounded leaves for a tropical effect in shade, preceded by flower heads on bare ground in April.

Covers wet shaded banks that defeat most plants, and holds eroding soil at a water's edge.

Very early flowers are a nectar source for insects emerging before most plants are in growth.

Essentials

At a Glance

Plant Type

Perennial

Height

36 inches

Width

48 inches

Light

Partial Sun, Shade

Zones

4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Water

High

Humidity

High

Lifespan

Perennial

Native To

Korea, China and Japan

Toxicity

Toxic if ingested

Planting

How to Grow

Plant in spring in part to full shade.
Choose consistently moist to wet soil.
Confine the roots in a sunken container or behind a barrier.
Water heavily; the leaves wilt if the soil dries.
Cut spent foliage down in autumn.
Check the barrier each spring for escaping rhizomes.

Pro Tip

Contain it at planting; once the rhizomes are into open ground, removing butterbur is a multi-season job rather than an afternoon's work.

Keep It Thriving

Care Guide

Do

Plant it inside a root barrier 🧱
Keep the soil constantly moist to wet 💧
Grow it in part to full shade 🌳
Use it at pond and stream banks 🪷

Don't

Plant it loose in an open border ❌
Let the soil dry out in summer ❌
Treat the raw plant as an ordinary edible ❌

Seasonal Care Calendar

Task	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Check
Cut Back

Watch Out For

Pests & Diseases

Common Pests

Common Diseases

In the Garden

Landscape Uses & Companions

Landscape Uses

Pond, stream and bog bank plantingBold foliage in a damp shaded cornerErosion control on wet shaded slopes

Companion Plants

Ligularia Rodgersia AstilbeOstrich Fern Siberian Iris

Multiply

Propagation Methods

Good to Know

Common Questions

Japanese Butterbur questions

What zones can Japanese Butterbur grow in?

Japanese Butterbur is hardy in USDA Zones 4–9. Inside that range it survives winter in the ground; outside it, grow it as an annual or a container plant you protect.

Is Japanese Butterbur deer resistant?

Not reliably. Deer may browse Japanese Butterbur, especially tender spring growth — plan on repellents or fencing where pressure is high.

When does Japanese Butterbur bloom?

Japanese Butterbur typically blooms in early spring, before the leaves through late spring. Exact timing shifts a week or two with your zone — Sow's bloom calendar maps it to your garden.

Does Japanese Butterbur need full sun?

Japanese Butterbur does best in part shade.