Back to main Search Page

Cirsium vulgare - (Savi.)Ten.

Common Thistle

Author	(Savi.)Ten.	Botanical references	17, 200
Family	Compositae	Genus	Cirsium
Synonyms	Carduus lanceolatus - L. Cirsium lanceolatum - non Hill.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa and W. Asia.
Habitat	Fields, waysides, gardens and waste places to 600 metres[17].
Edibility Rating	2 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	1 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Biennial growing to 2m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Meadow; Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers; Leaves; Root; Seed; Stem.

Edible Uses: Curdling agent.

Root - cooked[183]. A taste somewhat like a Jerusalem artichoke, but not as nice[K]. A rather bland flavour, the root is best used mixed with other vegetables[9]. The root can be dried and stored for later use[257]. 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[K]. Young flower stems - cooked and used as a vegetable[177, 183]. Young leaves can be soaked overnight in salt water and then cooked and eaten[183]. Another report says that they can be used in salads[9]. 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[K]. Flower buds - cooked. Used like globe artichokes[177, 183], but smaller and even more fiddly. The dried flowers are a rennet substitute for curdling plant milks[183]. Seed - occasionally eaten roasted[183].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Antihaemorrhoidal; Antirheumatic; Poultice.

The roots have been used as a poultice and a decoction of the plant used as a poultice on sore jaws[257]. A hot infusion of the whole plant has been used as a herbal steam for treating rheumatic joints[257]. A decoction of the whole plant has been used both internally and externally to treat bleeding piles[257].

Other Uses

Oil; Paper; Tinder.

A fibre obtained from the inner bark is used in making paper. The fibre is about 0.9mm long[189]. 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[189]. The seed of all species of thistles yields a good oil by expression[4]. No details of potential yields etc are given[K]. The down makes an excellent tinder that is easily lit by a spark from a flint[212].

Cultivation details

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[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring or autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 8 weeks at 20°c[164]. A pernicious weed, it really needs no encouragement from us.

Links

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[164] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[189] Bell. L. A. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press 1988
A good practical section on how to make paper on a small scale plus details of about 75 species (quite a few of them tropical) that can be used.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[212] Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers The Riverside Press 1963 ISBN 63-7093
Excellent little pocket guide to the area, covering 590 species and often giving details of their uses.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Plant Rennet

Rich Sat Apr 15 16:59:27 2000

According to VegSoc, in the past, fig leaves, melon, wild thistle and safflower have all supplied plant rennets for cheese making.

agsieve also has information about another plant source, using the juice from the plant as a coagulant.

Weeds as a future source for human consumption

Martha Díaz B Thu Jun 28 17:02:26 2001

We reciently recieved this article on the use of various weeds in south america. We though that you might enjoy it.

Abstract

Weeds may constitute an additional food source for humans. Up to 66% of weed species are edible and abound in urban and agricultural environments. A total of 43 species were sampled in tropical areas in Coatepec Mexico (e.g. roadsides, urban vacant lots, streets, sugar cane and coffee plantations). A similar survey performed in a temperate area in Bariloche Argentina with 32 species sampled. At a greater geographic scale, a comparison between Mexican and Argentine weeds shows that, proportionately, the food parts vary a little between regions. In general, the uses go from leaves, seeds, roots, fruits, and flowers.

Link: Weeds as a future source for human consumption

Weeds as a future source for human consumption

Klaus Thu Aug 16 16:12:55 2001

I really wonder what this has to do with montia perfoliata. The edible uses of weeds might be interesting, but not as a comment to this plant.

Cirsium vulgare

sue mcandrew Fri Aug 8 2008

suemcandrew@btinternet.com Please can anyone assist me, my daughter trod on thistles with bare feet, she has very soft soles of her feet. She now has raised wounds on her feet, this happend on 28th July, and still sore today, 8th Aug 08. Is this a rare occurance, can I apply anything to her foot to ease the discomfort ? Thank you.

Cirsium vulgare

Robert Gergulics Sat Apr 11 2009

Photos Here. Www.photorobg.com

www.photorobg.com

Add a comment/link:

Discussion Monitor

To have posts to this page mailed to you enter your email address here:

(Your email address will not appear on the webpage or be passed on to third parties).