Ghost Thistle Onopordum acanthium (A.K.A. Onopordon)
You know this giant purple flower better than you think you do: It is the Scottish Thistle, which has been the national emblem of Scotland since the 13th century. According to legend, a Scottish army camp was alerted to the sneak attack of invading Norsemen when a barefoot Viking stepped on a Scottish Thistle and gave a hearty Viking holler. It is also the thistle flower symbol of the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Dramatic and intimidating, like some ghost out of Macbeth, this strange white-leaved plant has a cottony, prickly down all over it, plus curious wide wings on the stem. Another one of those oddball architectural plants seen in modern British gardens.
60” sun (P694, page 20)
Use some caution planting this one. It is not on the Noxious Weed list here in Minnesota, but it is in California and a few other places. It would be better not to let it go to seed or to plant it anywhere where you cannot monitor it (for instance in a wild garden or near a farmer’s field). Some sources list the plant as a biennial, so it may not even flower this year (therefore, no seeds.) I am growing it just for the weird foliage.
Are these as prickly as the standard joe average thistle that is native here? Love them too, but man they spread like wildfire…
Yes, wear leather gloves! In the English gardens I saw them in, there were always 3 or fewer so I imagine these thistles are kept under strict control there. If I do get a flower this year or next, I’m going to enjoy it for a few days and then remove it and not compost it.
It is considered a weed, thistles grow on the streets and alleys where the women of Thistle Farms & Magdalene walked. But, thistles have a deep tap root that can shoot through thick concrete and survive drought.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw your thistle pictures. I just took some near our home, but I haven’t posted them yet. Imagine - same wildflower on different ends of the earth.
Can you eat these? I think I had heard you can eat the stems?
I don’t know whether you can eat these or not. You can eat the stems of the thistle-like cardoon, which may be what you heard about.
Ah, if it aint the national symbol of Scotland! yeah the thristle is a part of it, and no I do not think its edible..