Common Thistle, Bull thistle, Dodder, Boar Thistle, Bull Thistle
Cirsium vulgare

Family: Asteraceae or Compositae

What it is like

Bloom Color: Purple. Main:Bloom Time: Early summer, Late summer, Mid summer.

Cirsium vulgare is a BIENNIAL growing to 2 m (6ft 7in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 2 and is not frost tender. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies), beetles. The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 2

Where it is found

Fields, waysides, gardens and waste places to 600 metres.

Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa and W. Asia.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Chile, Europe, France, Greece, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lord Howe Island, Mediterranean, New Zealand, North Africa, North America, Pakistan, Paraguay, Portugal, Russia, South America, Spain, Tasmania, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uruguay, USA.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Root - cooked. A taste somewhat like a Jerusalem artichoke, but not as nice. A rather bland flavour, the root is best used mixed with other vegetables. The root can be dried and stored for later use. The root is rich in inulin, a starch that cannot be digested by humans. This starch thus passes straight through the digestive system and, in some people, ferments to produce flatulence. Young flower stems - cooked and used as a vegetable. Young leaves can be soaked overnight in salt water and then cooked and eaten. Another report says that they can be used in salads. The taste is rather bland but the prickles need to be removed from the leaves before the leaves can be eaten - not only is this a rather fiddly operation but very little edible matter remains. Flower buds - cooked. Used like globe artichokes, but smaller and even more fiddly. The dried flowers are a rennet substitute for curdling plant milks. Seed - occasionally eaten roasted.

Oil: Oil

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.

Curdling agent: used to curdle soya milk in making cheese.

Medicine

Rating: 1

The roots have been used as a poultice and a decoction of the plant used as a poultice on sore jaws. A hot infusion of the whole plant has been used as a herbal steam for treating rheumatic joints. A decoction of the whole plant has been used both internally and externally to treat bleeding piles.

Antihaemorrhoidal: Treats haemorrhoids (piles). This would probably be best added to another heading.

Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Other

Rating: 2

A fibre obtained from the inner bark is used in making paper. The fibre is about 0.9mm long. The stems are harvested in late summer, the leaves removed and the stems steamed until the fibres can be stripped off. The fibres are cooked with lye for two hours and then put in a ball mill for 3 hours. The resulting paper is a light brown tan. The seed of all species of thistles yields a good oil by expression. No details of potential yields etc are given. The down makes an excellent tinder that is easily lit by a spark from a flint.

Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.

Paper: Related to the entry for Fibre, these plants have been specifically mentioned for paper making.

Tinder: Used for starting fires. See also Kindling.

Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

The common thistle is a pernicious weed that spreads freely by means of its seed which can be dispersed by the wind over a large area. The seedlings are capable of establishing themselves in grassland. This plant should not be encouraged, and if growing on your land should be cut down before it sets seed. What better way of discouraging it is there than eating it? An easily grown plant, succeeding in any ordinary garden soil in a sunny position. Special Features:North American native, Fragrant foliage. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is fleshy. Thick or swollen - fibrous or tap root .

Propagating it: Seed - sow early spring or autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 8 weeks at 20°c. A pernicious weed, it really needs no encouragement from us.

Best place to grow: Meadow; Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Biennial

Hardiness: 0-0

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Naturalised in North America, Africa, and Australia and is an invasive weed in some areas.

Its other names

Local names

Black thistle, Bull thistle, Bur thistle, Cardo de toro, Cardo negro, Pareira brava, Spear thistle, Common thistle, Scots, Scottish, or Scotch thistle,

Synonyms

C. lanceolatum. non Hill. Carduus lanceolatus.