Sow Thistle, Common Sow Thistle, Annual Sow Thistle, Milk Thistle, Hare's Thistle, Dindle
Sonchus oleraceus
🌿 Morphology
🌞 Growing conditions
🌍 Origin and family
🌾 Uses
Warning: Despite the care taken in writing this sheet, it is essential to cross-reference sources before using or consuming any plant. When in doubt, consult a qualified professional
Permaculture uses
Edible as a salad green, especially when young; older leaves can be cooked. The roots can be roasted. Medicinally, used as a poultice for inflammations and wounds. Attracts pollinators and beneficial insects. Can be used as a green manure. Considered a dynamic accumulator of nutrients. Good chicken forage. Leaves may be too bitter for some palates.
Permapeople description
General
Annual herbs from a short taproot; stems erect, solitary, few-branched above, glabrous, hollow, exuding milky juice when broken, 0.1-1 m tall.
Leaves
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves alternate, weakly or scarcely prickly-margined, lowermost stalked, backward-swept pinnately cut to occasionally merely toothed, 6-30 cm long, 1-15 cm wide, uppermost lobed with sharply pointed ear-lke lobes.
Flowers
Heads with strap-shaped flowers, several on sometimes glandular stalks in an open, flat- or round-topped inflorescence, relatively small, commonly 1.5-2.3 cm wide in flower; involucres 9-14 mm tall; involucral bracts lanceolate, tapering to a slender tip at the apex, glabrous except for some spreading, gland-tipped hairs; ray flowers yellow.
Fruits
Achenes 2.5-3 mm long, with 3-5 evident to rather obscure longitudinal ribs on each face, cross-wrinkled; pappus of white hairlike bristles.
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Botanical description
Sonchus oleraceus is an annual or biennial plant in the dandelion tribe within the daisy family Asteraceae. It is native to Europe but has naturalized nearly worldwide. It typically grows to a height of 2 to 10 feet (60 cm to 3 meters). The stems are hollow and often branched. The leaves are alternate, lobed, and have prickly margins. The flowers are yellow and resemble dandelions, forming in a head of numerous florets. The fruit is a seed-like achene with a pappus, enabling wind dispersal. The plant exudes a milky sap when damaged.
Companion planting
Generally considered a weed and not often intentionally companion planted. Its presence may indicate soil imbalances. Can attract beneficial insects, which could indirectly benefit nearby crops. Can compete with other plants for resources. Some gardeners use it as a trap crop for aphids.
Propagation methods
Primarily by seed. Seeds can be sown directly in the ground in spring or fall. Self-seeds readily. Can also be propagated by division of the root crown, though less common.
History and traditions
Historically used in traditional medicine as a diuretic, laxative, and for treating liver ailments. Evidence suggests its use dating back to ancient Greece. The sap was believed to have medicinal properties. In some cultures, the leaves were consumed as a vegetable during times of scarcity.
Usage calendar
Flowering occurs primarily in spring and summer. Seed production follows flowering. Leaves can be harvested for consumption throughout the growing season, with younger leaves being more palatable. Sowing is typically done in spring or fall.