Son before Father...

...there are several plants that have this feature, of the flowers blooming before the leaves appear. Tussilago farfara, Coltsfoot is one of these plants. It is blooming today in the ditches along the roadside. It's joyous yellow hue calls out to me as I pass by. It is an alien plant that looks somewhat like a Dandelion, except the Dandelion blooms after the leaves. The Dandelion has a smooth stalk and the Coltsfoot's stem is rough or scaly. Coltsfoot was used in colonial times as a cough syrup. It grows in "waste places" and is found throughout the Northeast. It's leaves are attractive and last throughout the growing season. We have some growing on a hillside and it seems to prevent soil erosion.