Prickly Sow Thistle, Spiny sowthistle
Sonchus asper
Family: Asteraceae or Compositae
What it is like
Sonchus asper is a ANNUAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, hoverflies. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.5
Where it is found
Cultivated soil and waste places.
Europe, including Britain, south and east from Scandanavia to N. Africa, N. and W. Asia.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Tender young leaves and stem tops - raw or cooked. They can be added to salads or used like spinach. The young leaves have a mild agreeable flavour. The stems should be bruised and the bitter-tasting milky juice washed out before eating or cooking them. The stems have been peeled and eaten raw like celery.
Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The plant is pounded and applied as a poultice to wounds and boils.
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
Other
Rating: 0
How it is grown
Succeeds in most soils in a sunny position. This plant has been cultivated for its edible leaves by the Maoris in New Zealand.
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring or late summer in situ.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Annual
Hardiness: 0-0
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist