Common Thistle, Cirsium vulgare is a species offlowering biennial plant in the family Asteraceae, native
toEurope, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to
N. Africa and W. Asia. Though generally a biennial it sometimes
will function as an annual, flowering in the first year. The stem
is winged, with numerous longitudinal spine-tipped wings along
its full length. The leaves are stoutly spined, grey-green,
deeply lobed; the basal leaves grow up to 30 centimetres long,
with smaller leaves on the upper part of the flower stem; the
leaf lobes are spear-shaped (from which the English name
derives). The inflorescence is 2.5–5 centimetres (0.98–1.97
in) diameter, pink-purple, with all the florets of similar form
(no division into disc and ray florets). The seeds are 5
millimetres (0.20 in) long, with a downy pappus, which assists in
wind dispersal. As in other species of Cirsium (but
unlike species in the related genus Carduus), the pappus hairs
are feathery with fine side hairs..
| Common Name: Common Thistle |
| Scientific Name: Cirsium vulgare |
| Other Names: Spear Thistle, Dodder, Boar Thistle, Bull Thistle, Scottish Thistle |
| Family: Asteraceae |
| Range: Origin: Common Thistle is native to Europe, including Britain, from Scandinavia south and east to N. Africa and W. Asia. It has been naturalised in North America, Africa, and Australia and is an invasive weed in several regions. Common thistle is the national flower of Scotland |
Physical Characteristics
Cirsium vulgare is a tall herbaceous biennial or short-lived monocarpic, forming a rosette of leaves and a taproot up to 70cm long in the first year, and a flowering stem 1–1.5 m tall in the second (rarely third or fourth) year. It can grow up to 1.8 metres tall. 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 as a wildlife attractant.
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.
|
| Edible Parts: Flowers, leaves, oil, root, stem and seeds |
 Edibility Rating: 3 
|
 Known Hazards: None Known
|
Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Common Thistle along with all the Common Thistle containing recipes presented on this site, with 4 recipes in total.
These recipes, all contain Common Thistle as a major wild food ingredient.
Spear thistle is often a ruderal species, colonising bare disturbed ground, but also persists well on heavily grazed land as it is unpalatable to most grazing animals. Nitrogen-rich soils help increase its proliferation. The flowers are a rich nectar source used by numerous pollinating insects, including honey bees, wool-carder bees, and many butterflies. The seeds are eaten by goldfinches, linnets and greenfinches. The seeds are dispersed by wind, mud, water, and possibly also by ants; they do not show significant long-term dormancy, most germinating soon after dispersal and only a few lasting up to four years in the soil seed bank. Seed is also often spread by human activity such as hay bales.
The roots are definitely the best part. Like evening primrose roots they are best before the flower spike emerges and should be collected between the late autumn of the first year and late spring on the second year. Like burdock the young flower stems are edible, but must be peeled to remove their spiny surfaces before being boiled or steamed as a vegetable. Young leaves can be soaked overnight in salt water and then cooked and eaten after removing the spines. The stems of older leaves can also be eaten, just remove the leaf and any spines then prepare like asparagus. The flower buds can be eaten cooked and used like the flowers of cardoons, though the process is fiddly given their size. The dried flowers have been used as a rennet substitute in Italy for curdling milk. The seeds are also edible and are occasionally eaten after roasting.
Spear thistle is designated an 'injurious weed' under the UK Weeds Act 1959, and a noxious weed in Australia and in nine US states. Spread is only by seed, not by root fragments as in the related creeping thistle C. arvense. It is best cleared from land by hoeing and deep cutting of the taproot before seeds mature; regular cultivation also prevents its establishment
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1999
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–12.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants, 2004
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland, 2011
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) — How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland, 2006
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles, 1983
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles, 1987
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms, 2006
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms, 2011
[12]. Bunker, F. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland, Second Edition, 2017
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia II — A Source Book of Edible Plants, 1998
[14]. Hartford, R. Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants of Britain and Ireland: A Foraging and Photographic Identification Guide
(Note that the above book links are Amazon Affiliate links)
These recipes, all contain Common Thistle as a major wild food ingredient.
Spear thistle is often a ruderal species, colonising bare disturbed ground, but also persists well on heavily grazed land as it is unpalatable to most grazing animals. Nitrogen-rich soils help increase its proliferation. The flowers are a rich nectar source used by numerous pollinating insects, including honey bees, wool-carder bees, and many butterflies. The seeds are eaten by goldfinches, linnets and greenfinches. The seeds are dispersed by wind, mud, water, and possibly also by ants; they do not show significant long-term dormancy, most germinating soon after dispersal and only a few lasting up to four years in the soil seed bank. Seed is also often spread by human activity such as hay bales.
The roots are definitely the best part. Like evening primrose roots they are best before the flower spike emerges and should be collected between the late autumn of the first year and late spring on the second year. Like burdock the young flower stems are edible, but must be peeled to remove their spiny surfaces before being boiled or steamed as a vegetable. Young leaves can be soaked overnight in salt water and then cooked and eaten after removing the spines. The stems of older leaves can also be eaten, just remove the leaf and any spines then prepare like asparagus. The flower buds can be eaten cooked and used like the flowers of cardoons, though the process is fiddly given their size. The dried flowers have been used as a rennet substitute in Italy for curdling milk. The seeds are also edible and are occasionally eaten after roasting.
Spear thistle is designated an 'injurious weed' under the UK Weeds Act 1959, and a noxious weed in Australia and in nine US states. Spread is only by seed, not by root fragments as in the related creeping thistle C. arvense. It is best cleared from land by hoeing and deep cutting of the taproot before seeds mature; regular cultivation also prevents its establishment
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1999
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–12.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants, 2004
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland, 2011
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) — How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland, 2006
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles, 1983
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles, 1987
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms, 2006
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms, 2011
[12]. Bunker, F. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland, Second Edition, 2017
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia II — A Source Book of Edible Plants, 1998
[14]. Hartford, R. Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants of Britain and Ireland: A Foraging and Photographic Identification Guide
(Note that the above book links are Amazon Affiliate links)
The alphabetical list of all Common Thistle recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 4 recipes in total:
Page 1 of 1
| Roasted Autumn Vegetables Origin: Britain | Wild Food Stalk Fritters Origin: British |
| Thistle Root Gobo (Japanese-style Braised Thistle Root) Origin: Britain | Wild Food Stalks with Garlic and Butter Origin: British |
Page 1 of 1