Mezereon (Daphne Mezereum)
perennial shrub, March-April, 40-120cm high

This plant is also known as “tormented throat” as it contains toxins that inflame the throat, even a few berries can cause fatalities and the juice of the berries can cause rashes and blisters. It’s interesting though that wagtails and thrushes can eat the berries without ill-effect and do so spitting out the kernels.

Tags: Alpine Flowers | Daphne Mezereum | Mezereon | shrub | Swiss Mountain Leader | Val d'Anniviers | Zinal

White Butterbur (Petasites albus) perennial, April-May, 15-100cm high

One of many plants that in the middle ages were thought to ward of plague this plant has an unpleasant smell. In modern times medicnes with butterbur are used to treat acute urinary tract pain and as a preventive for migraines.

It’s found nears banks of rivers or streams and is very common.

Tags: Alpine Flowers | Swiss Mountain Leader | Val d'Anniviers | White Butterbur | Zinal

This is pretty common on rocky ground around March/April in the Val d’Anniviers. This particular one was in the forest above Saint-Luc but we’ve some thriving on the rocky, hard surface of our drive at the chalet in Zinal.

Like many plants Coltsfoot has other names, it’s hard to build a full list but these includeAss’s foot, Bull’s foot, Butterbur, Coughwort, Farfara, Foal’s foot, Foalswort, Horse Foot and Winter heliotrope. This theme where it’s supposed to resemble a cross section of an animal foot is lost on me though! I just can’t see it.

The Latin name, “tussilago”, means cough suppressant and Coltsfoot has been used to treat coughs, colds and smoked to relieve asthma and catarrh. In natural form it’s harmful to the liver though so this isn’t recommended!

“Stockleys”, a sweet company from Accrington in the UK, actually produce something called Coltsfoot Rock in a couple of formats, I’ve not tried this and, in fact, I’d not heard of it before researching this piece!

Tags: Alpine Flowers | Coltsfoot | Saint Luc | Swiss Mountain Leader | Val d'Anniviers