Cirsium eriophorum
| Cirsium eriophorum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Life Cycle: | Biennial |
| Height: | 5' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Cirsium eriophorum (common name: wooly thistle)
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring or autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 8 weeks at 20°c.
Cultivation: An easily grown plant, succeeding in any ordinary garden soil in a sunny position[1].
Range: Central Europe, from Britain, France and Holland to the Balkans and Upper Volga
Habitat: Grassland, open scrub and roadsides on calcareous soils[2][3].
Edibility: Young leaves - raw[4][5].
Young stems - raw or cooked. An asparagus or rhubarb substitute[4][2][5]. The stems are peeled and soaked in water to remove the bitterness, they are then said to be excellent eating[4][5].
Flower buds - cooked. A globe artichoke substitute[6][7][5] but much smaller and even more fiddly.
Usage: The seed fluff is used as a tinder[8].
The seed of all species of thistles yields a good oil by expression[4]. No details of potential yields etc are given[K].
Pollinators: Bees, flies, lepidoptera, beetles, self
Habit: Biennial
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Carduus eriophorus. Cnicus eriophorus.
Links
References
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Loewenfeld, Claire and Philippa Back. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Coon, Nelson. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press, 1975.