The Purple Bull Thistle
25 Seeds from our, "Brooklyn Botanical Garden Club!"
Fresh Seeds for 2024
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Cirsium vulgare, the spear thistle, bull thistle, or common thistle, is a species of the Asteraceae genus Cirsium, native throughout most of Europe, Western Asia, and northwestern Africa. And flourishes throughout the United States without any invitation.
It was introduced to the United States in the early 1800s, when the seeds were accidentally mixed into food crop seeds on vessels arriving to the US.
The purple bull thistle (cirsium vulgare) is a biennial plant that belongs to the asteraceae (sunflower) family. The bull thistle has pinkish violet to purple flowers, which produces a product known as the thistledown. (as shown in our photo's)
The flowers attract bees because they like to suck on the heavy pollen, so if you need bees to pollinate other plants, than the Bull Thistle can be pretty useful. It can also be useful to create a barrier to keep out intruders. The taproots are also good for the soil ecology.
It was introduced to the United States in the early 1800s, when the seeds were accidentally mixed into food crop seeds on vessels arriving to the US.
The purple bull thistle (cirsium vulgare) is a biennial plant that belongs to the asteraceae (sunflower) family. The bull thistle has pinkish violet to purple flowers, which produces a product known as the thistledown. (as shown in our photo's)
The flowers attract bees because they like to suck on the heavy pollen, so if you need bees to pollinate other plants, than the Bull Thistle can be pretty useful. It can also be useful to create a barrier to keep out intruders. The taproots are also good for the soil ecology.
Bull thistles are distinguished from all other types of thistle plants by the covering of short, sharp prickles on the upper, dark green surface of the leaf blade. It is these prickles that make the surface very harsh to the touch. The green slender leave grow a white stripe down the center of the leaf when the plant is producing flowers. Like many other plants, the bull thistle grows a rosette in its first year and blooms dozens of flowers in its second year of life.
Distinguishing Features
The bull thistle is a biennially growing plant. The main stem of this wild edible is firm and thorny. This plant bears leaves that end in extended, very sharp thorns and are beige in color. This thistle produces a lot of seeds that have small feathers and are fixed to the base by means of a ring until they mature. The roots of this plant are taproots. They are thin and run deep and can develop several smaller lateral roots.
The bull thistle is a biennially growing plant. The main stem of this wild edible is firm and thorny. This plant bears leaves that end in extended, very sharp thorns and are beige in color. This thistle produces a lot of seeds that have small feathers and are fixed to the base by means of a ring until they mature. The roots of this plant are taproots. They are thin and run deep and can develop several smaller lateral roots.
Flowers
Bull thistle flower heads are mainly purple and measure 3.5 to 5 cm in diameter, 2.5 to 5 cm long and are usually solitary. But there are also clusters of them, that grow at the ends of shoots and branches. The Flowers are subtended by narrow, spine-tipped bracts and will produce hundreds of seeds.
Bull thistle flower heads are mainly purple and measure 3.5 to 5 cm in diameter, 2.5 to 5 cm long and are usually solitary. But there are also clusters of them, that grow at the ends of shoots and branches. The Flowers are subtended by narrow, spine-tipped bracts and will produce hundreds of seeds.
Leaves
Bull thistle leaves are alternate, pinnately cut, (lance-shaped) and they have rough, bristly hairs on top and hairy underneath. They can grow anywhere from 7.5 to 30 cm long. Lobes on leaves are tipped with stout spines. Mature leaves grow down the stem beyond their bases, causing the stalk to be ‘winged’ and prickly, lobed leaf-like structures with a white line going down the center.
Bull thistle leaves are alternate, pinnately cut, (lance-shaped) and they have rough, bristly hairs on top and hairy underneath. They can grow anywhere from 7.5 to 30 cm long. Lobes on leaves are tipped with stout spines. Mature leaves grow down the stem beyond their bases, causing the stalk to be ‘winged’ and prickly, lobed leaf-like structures with a white line going down the center.
Height
The bull thistle can grow up to 3-4ft. or more in height with extending flowers.
The bull thistle can grow up to 3-4ft. or more in height with extending flowers.
Habitat
Bull thistle is a plant that can grow in a wide range of environments, but prefers disturbed areas. It tends to grow best in soils with intermediate moisture although it will grow in dry and wet soils. It likes pastures, edges of woods, waste places, fence lines and roadsides.
Bull thistle is a plant that can grow in a wide range of environments, but prefers disturbed areas. It tends to grow best in soils with intermediate moisture although it will grow in dry and wet soils. It likes pastures, edges of woods, waste places, fence lines and roadsides.
Edible Parts
Bull thistle root can be eaten and is best used when mixed with other vegetables. Young flower stems can be cooked and young leaves can be eaten in a salad or tossed into a sauté. The prickles MUST BE removed from the leaves before the leaves can be eaten! The flower buds can be cooked and used like globe artichokes, but they are smaller. Bull thistle seeds can be roasted. (Bull thistle root is rich in insulin.)
Bull thistle root can be eaten and is best used when mixed with other vegetables. Young flower stems can be cooked and young leaves can be eaten in a salad or tossed into a sauté. The prickles MUST BE removed from the leaves before the leaves can be eaten! The flower buds can be cooked and used like globe artichokes, but they are smaller. Bull thistle seeds can be roasted. (Bull thistle root is rich in insulin.)
Disclaimer from Savedoe
We
do not advocate the consumption of this plant or it's seed in any way,
...It is
not being sold by Savedoe with the intent for the consumer to eat, smoke
or extract any chemical properties and/or use
it for any medical treatments, it will not be sold to anyone that wants
to use it for any type of consumption. Our seeds are sold strictly to grow
beautiful Bull Thistle flowers in your garden and to help you protect your property line.
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