What the heck is this coming up in my Elephant Ears?

[TAMMY BOTZON]

Hi I am new and thought maybe someone here may know what this plant is coming up among my elephant ears. They started out as large pods and now they are flowering. I thought the pods were Elephant Ears but now that it is blooming I see the leaves are quite different!

 

[Beth_B]

Hi!
No clue what that is but it's certainly pretty!

 

[LIcenter]

It looks like some type of milkweed.

 

[Larisa]

Welcome!

It's a Petasites Japonicus. Flowers. After flowering, large leaves will appear.

 

[LIcenter]

Welcome!

It's a Petasites Japonicus. Flowers. After flowering, large leaves will appear.

View attachment 17963

You are good, Larisa! Looks to be a little invasive also.
https://containercrazyct.com/2011/06/14/petasites-japonicus-–-a-star-or-stalker/

 

[Beth_B]

I was just about to say it but you beat me to it! Larisa IS good at identifying plants.

 

[Larisa]

It just grows in Russia in the Far East.

 

[TAMMY BOTZON]

You are good, Larisa! Looks to be a little invasive also.
https://containercrazyct.com/2011/06/14/petasites-japonicus-–-a-star-or-stalker/

Thank you! Now I know what its real name is (not an Elephant Ear). I did not realize this is how it started out in the spring. I may transplant some of it to another shady place with the help of the article you provided

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Is it a weed? Never seen one before but it looks pretty!

 

[alp]

Yes, looks exotic and I have never seen it either!

 

[Larisa]

Is it a weed?

Weed is a relative concept. Weed is a plant that no one likes. If you love him and set aside a place for him in the garden, it is not a weed already.

 

[alp]

Agree, Larisa: It's like forget me not which self seeds like mad here.. same as Muscari.. I will stamp on them until the bulbs become pulp.. but next door keeps them as flowers... Life can be very frustrating..

 

[TAMMY BOTZON]

Is it a weed? Never seen one before but it looks pretty!

They have big beautiful leaves perfect for making bird baths or to just give an exotic look to a shady area. I love mine but I want to put more where they are more protected since a real strong wind can really damage the leaves.

 

[Tetters]

I`ve never seen one of those before, but would love to grow it - especially as it provides leaves to help the birds bathe. I always grow teazels for that purpose. Although the leaves are not huge, they form neat little cups near the stems which hold moisture for the birds.

 

[Marck]

Giant Butterbur (Petasites japonicus), also known as Sweet Colt's-foot or Fuki, is a robust herbaceous perennial in the Butterweed tribe (Senecioneae) of the Daisy Family (Asteraceae), native to China, Japan, Korea, Sakhalin, and the Russian Far East. The inflorescences emerge first in Spring, followed by the large leaves that persist through Summer before dying back in the Fall. There are a number of other Colt's-Foot (Petasites spp.), but Petasites japonicus has larger leaves than most. Most Petasites are native to Eurasia, and nearby islands such as Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, Sakhalin, and Taiwan. One species (P. pyrenaicus) extends into Algeria and Tunisia, and some forms of Arctic Butterbur (P. frigidus) are common in Canada, Alaska, and the northern half of the U.S.

The leaves themselves do not capture and hold water, so would not serve as a bird-bath. However, I imagine the graceful form of the leaves could serve as a design inspiration for bird-baths constructed of some other material, such as metal, glass, ceramics, etc.