Practical
Plants

Onopordum illyricum

Cotton Thistle

a biennial member of the Onopordum genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
biennial
Height
1.3 m
Fertility
self fertile
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Self

Uses

Edible uses

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

Flower buds - cooked. Used as a globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus) substitute[1], though they are even more fiddly than that plant[K].

Plant part
Flowers

Environment

Range
S. Europe.
Habitat
Sunny and well-drained habitats.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
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 situ[2]. The seed can also be sown in situ in autumn[2]. 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.

Cultivation

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

Succeeds in almost any ordinary garden soil. Requires a well-drained soil in full sun. Prefers a slightly alkaline soil. Plants are hardy to about -15°c. 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[2]. The flowers are very attractive to bees.

References

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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