Irish Fleabane

• Name also

  Willowleaf yellowhead, Willow leaved inula, Willow-leaved yellow-head (usa)

• Scientific synonym

  Inula salicina

• Growing form

  Perennial herb.

• Height

  20–80 cm (8–32 in.). Stem quite delicate, lower part sparsely rough-haired, upper part glabrous, light reddish brown.

• Flower

  Single flower-like 2.5–4 cm (1–1.6 in.) capitula surrounded by involucral bracts. Capitula flowers yellow, ray-florets tongue-like; disc florets tubular, small. Stamens 5. Pistil of 2 fused carpels. Involucral bracts in many rows, edges brown-haired, outer bracts leafy, lanceolate, descending, inner bracts membranous, linear. Capitula usually solitary, sometimes several borne in a corymbose cluster.

• Leaves

  Alternate, stalkless, upper amplexicaul. Blade narrowly lanceolate, broad-based, often arching, rigid, glabrous–underside rough-haired along veins, shiny, margin slightly revolute, entire–toothed.

• Fruit

  Yellowish brown bristly achene, tip with unbranched hairs.

• Habitat

  Sea-shore meadows, rocky places and hedgerows, dry meadows, meadows, coppices, broad-leaved forests, fens. Calciphilous.

• Flowering time

  July–August.

Genus Inula is comprised of over 100 species, but Irish fleabane is the only representative that has ventured into the wilds of Finland. It mainly grows in the south-west of the country around the archipelago, the coast of the Gulf of Finland and inland in Häme. In the archipelago Irish fleabane grows in calciferous places on coastal river banks and around hedgerows, while inland it mainly thrives on dryish, rocky, sloping broad-leaved forests and hills. In the remotest corner of eastern Kuusamo by the eastern border there are several separate stands on the fens. Irish fleabane has exploited the way that people cleared the forest, established forest grazing and created meadows. Even in the Golden Age of grazing, however, it wasn’t common. Irish fleabane that grows ferally is usually terminated by a single capitulum, or sometimes a few in a corymb, but cultivated ornamental forms have been bred to branch from the top with abundant blooms. Irish fleabane’s flowerless shoots can look like willow branches, with their dark green, arching leaves, and this has given rise to the plant’s scientific name salicina. This willow thicket-like appearance is only enhanced by its habit of growing in wide stands.

British Yellowhead (Meadow Fleabane)

Pentanema britannicum (Inula britannica)

Like Irish fleabane, fragile but hairier-looking British yellowhead can be found growing here and there across Finland. It is mainly a casual guest, but it has gained a permanent foothold in Hanko at least. Third Inula species in Finland, elecampane (Inula helenium) can grow up to 2 metres (6.5 feet) tall and is easy to tell by its size.

→ Distribution map (Kasviatlas, University of Helsinki)