Petasites

Where you have room these can be dramatic and handsome plants, good for covering the soil, binding banks around large ponds etc. These are in the Asteraceae family, but the flowers lack the 'ray-florets', so less showy than many others in the same family, but still attractive in their own right, with the 'disc-florets' often coloured, in good numbers and appearing before the leaves have fully emerged. Out early in the year, so a good nectar source for insects. Careful siting required as these plants are spreading to invasive.