Scientific Name
Cirsium oleraceum (L.) Scop.
Synonym(s)
Carduus acanthifolius, Carduus oleraceus, Carduus parviflorus, Carduus rigens, Carduus tataricus, Cirsium braunii, Cirsium flavescens, Cirsium pallens, Cirsium parviflorum, Cirsium praemorsum, Cirsium rigens, Cirsium subalatum, Cirsium thomasii, Cirsium variabile, Cnicus bracteatus, Cnicus oleraceus, Cynara colorata
Common Name(s)
Cabbage Thistle, Siberian Thistle
Scientific Classification
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Cynareae
Genus: Cirsium
Flower
Color: Pale yellow
Bloom Time: July to September
Origin
This species is native to central and eastern Europe and Asia.
Description
Cirsium oleraceum is a herbaceous perennial plant with unbranched stems or only a few branches. It grows up to 5 feet (1.5 m) tall. Leaves are egg-shaped with a weakly spiny margin. Flowers are pale yellow, sometimes tinged pink, and produced in dense flower heads up to 1.6 inches (4 cm) in diameter.
How to Grow and Care for Cirsium oleraceum
Hardiness: USDA hardiness zones 6a to 10b: from -10°F (-23.3°C) to 40°F (4.4°C).
You can sow Cirsium seeds in autumn or after the last spring frost. Sow them at a depth of 0.12 inches (3 mm). If grown indoors first, Cirsium takes about 2 to 3 weeks to germinate at 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 24 degrees Celsius). The seedlings are planted in early spring, when frost is still possible, with spacing of about 2 feet (60 cm).
Cirsium thrives in full sun and poor, average, or rich, moist but well-drained soil. Plants require little care, but deadheading limits their tendency to self-sow. They generally self-sow only in moderation, and unlike weedy thistles, the seedlings are easy to pull up. Use Thistles in mixed beds, herb gardens, or meadow-like plantings.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Thistles (Cirsium).
Links
- Back to genus Cirsium
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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