Practical
Plants

Cicerbita alpina

Blue Sow Thistle

a perennial member of the Cicerbita genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1 m
Spread
0.3 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Beetles, Lepidoptera
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Beetles, Lepidoptera

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young shoots and stems - raw[10][2]. The skin is first removed, but the shoots are still rather bitter and unpalatable[4, K]. Older stems can also be peeled and eaten raw[2][4][5] but have a bitter taste[8].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Stem

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves and milky sap were at one time often used in herbal medicine, though are seldom employed nowadays[10]. They are diuretic and are also applied externally to inflammations[10].

Product or use
Antiphlogistic
Product or use
Diuretic

Environment

Range
Mountainous regions of C. Europe, including Britain, from Norway to the Pyrenees.
Habitat
A very rare native of Scotland, growing on alpine rock in moist places[3].
Shade tolerance
partial shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Only just cover the seed and do not let the compost dry out. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Division in spring[7]. We have found it best to pot up the clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer or following spring.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a moist well-drained humus rich neutral to acid light sandy soil and some shade[1][6][9]. Plants are hardy to at least -20°c[6].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩

  4. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  5. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩

  6. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

    ↩1↩2

  7. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

  8. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  9. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩

  10. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

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