Common Name: Eaton's Thistle

General Information

Cirsium eatonii is a prickly, herbaceous perennial plant growing from a taproot; it produces one to several, fleshy, erect or ascending stems 10 - 150cm tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

Western N. America - Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico

Habitat

Rocky slopes, canyons, pinyon-juniper woodlands to alpine, montane coniferous forests, subalpine forests and, alpine slopes; at elevations from 2,100 - 3,500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Beetles, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Cirsium species are generally easily grown plants, succeeding in any ordinary garden soil in a sunny position[].
Cirsium eatonii is a polymorphic species, generally considered to comprise seven vars, and widely distributed in a high elevation archipelago across the central Rocky Mountains and the Intermountain Region. Several of these vars have at times been considered to be distinct species[].

Edible Uses

Root - raw or cooked[, , , , ]. The root is likely to be 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[].

Stem[, , ]. No more details are given.

Medicinal

The plant has been used to treat wounds, cuts and sores[].

Other Uses

The seed of all species of thistles yields a good oil by expression[]. No details of potential yields etc are given[].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring or autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 8 weeks at 20°c.