Practical
Plants

Cirsium edule

Edible Thistle

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

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Cirsium
Life cycle
perennial
Height
2 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Beetles, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Beetles, Self

Uses

Edible uses

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

Root - cooked[9][1][2][4]. 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[K]. Young stems - peeled and eaten raw[6][8][9][1]. Soft and sweet[2], they are considered to be a luxury food[4]. Young shoots - raw or cooked as greens[4]. Harvested in spring[4].

Plant part
Root
Plant part
Stem

Material uses

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

The seed of all species of thistles yields a good oil by expression[5]. No details of potential yields etc are given[K].

Product or use
Oil

Environment

Range
Western N. America - southwards from Canada.
Habitat
Wet meadows and open woods in mountains[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

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

Cultivation

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

An easily grown plant, succeeding in any ordinary garden soil in a sunny position[3]. A monocarpic species, it grows for a number of years without flowering but then dies after flowering[7].

References

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

    ↩1↩2

  2. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

  4. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

    ↩

  6. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  7. Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  8. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

  9. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

    ↩1↩2

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