Butterbur or winter heliotrope?

[Jes]

Hi, I've just joined Wild about Britain.
I'm hoping someone can tell me what I've snapped here. This plant is growing by a sandy track from the beach at Gullane, East Lothian. The pictures were taken on Sunday evening 17th February. I guess at Butterbur as I've heard that winter heliotrope lives in the south of England, but is that true?

[Bub-les]

Definately Butterbur
Barbara

[thunder]

Sorry Barbara, but I disagree. The leaves and the flowers are together, in winter. It's Winter Heliotrope, surely. Looks exactly like the WH that grows outside my front door. Commoner in the south, but does occur in Scotland

henrya

[Bub-les]

Henrya I've had another look at it and I think you may well be right. I was perhaps a little hasty ( daughter wanted computer)!
Sorry Jes but I've changed my mind and going for Winter Heliotrope.
By the way welcome to WAB
Barbara

[JennyS]

Yes, that definitely looks like Winter Heliotrope

[ladyhawk]

P. fragrans has fewer flower heads and smells like vanilla think it cuold be winter heliotrope

[hoobs]

A small hint. habitat Butterbur - very close to fresh water. Heliotrope - roadsides and similar places. In flower now - heliotrope. Butterbur is the much rarer plant and has an interesting moth associated with it. Google - "butterbur moth" and see what you get

[PMG]

Definitely winter helliotrope with its head of lovely lilac flowers which do smell gorgeous! Its in flower now - well actually its almost gone over in 'my spots' in the north west

Pauline

[hobble]

I would say for sure it is Winter Heliotrope.
Did you know that the leaves were used to wrap violets to send to London from Cornwall.
Very difficult to remove so don't move soil around which has its rhizomes/corms. I did this when dormant and I now have it where I don't want it. Although I love it as a plant, and the smell reminds me of marzipan.

[thunder]

Originally Posted by hoobs

A small hint. habitat Butterbur - very close to fresh water. Heliotrope - roadsides and similar places. In flower now - heliotrope. Butterbur is the much rarer plant and has an interesting moth associated with it. Google - "butterbur moth" and see what you get

The biggest stand of Butterbur that I have seen in flower was on a roadside - can't recall if there was water nearby. Butterbur is more widespread than Winter Heliotrope in Britain.

henrya