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Common Name: Scotch Thistle

General Information

Onopordum acanthium is a Biennial up to 1.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Europe, possibly including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain and W. Asia.

Habitat

Waste places and arable land, especially on chalky and sandy soils, avoiding shade[, ]. Also found on slightly acid soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Biennial
Height	1.50 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Bees, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in almost any ordinary garden soil[, ]. Requires a well-drained soil, preferably in full sun though it tolerates light shade[]. Prefers a slightly alkaline soil[]. Grows very well in poor soils, succeeding in hot dry situations and tolerating drought when it is established[]. A slow-growing plant[].
Hardy to about -15°c[].
A very ornamental plant[], the flowers are very attractive to bees[]. Plants are prone to slug and snail damage[].
Often self-sows, sometimes to the point of nuisance, though the seedlings can easily be hoed out and can also be transplanted if they are moved whilst still small[].

Edible Uses

Flower buds - cooked. A globe artichoke substitute[, , , , ], though they are much smaller and very fiddly to use[].
Stems - cooked. Used as a vegetable, they are a cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) substitute[, ]. The stems are cooked in water like asparagus or rhubarb[]. They are best if the rind is removed[, , ].
Leaves and young plants - cooked[, ]. They are harvested before the flowers develop and the prickles must be removed prior to cooking[].
The petals are an adulterant for saffron[, , , ], used as a yellow food colouring and flavouring.
A good quality edible oil is obtained from the seed[, , ]. The seed contains about 25% oil[].

Medicinal

The flowering plant is cardiotonic[]. It is used in some proprietary heart medicines[].
The juice of the plant has been used with good effect in the treatment of cancers and ulcers[].
A decoction of the root is astringent[]. It is used to diminish discharges from mucous membranes[].

Other Uses

An extract of the flowers, leaves and stems is used in commercial cosmetic products as a skin conditioner[].

The stem hairs are sometimes collected and used to stuff pillows[].

An oil obtained from the seed is used as a fuel for lamps[].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in situ[]. The seed can also be sown in situ in autumn[].
If the seed is in short supply then it can be sown in a pot in the greenhouse in the spring. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer.