Creeping thistle Cirsium arvense 
 
Family -        Asteraceae  Daisy family
Perennial  -  Up to 150cm tall
Flowering -   July – September/October
Soil –            Damp
Sun -            Moderate
 
Creeping thistle is native throughout Europe. This plant  does well in moderate sunlight with an abundance of groundwater.  It is  dioecious (with sexes on different plants), though male plants can produce bisexual flowers.
 
Creeping thistle has tiny lilac florets upon a base of spiny bracts – leaf-like structures. The leaves are spiny and the plant produces many seeds by late summer which are dispersed on the wind. It has thick but brittle lateral roots that readily produce new plants if broken off, and is notoriously invasive - hence the common name.
 
First recorded botanically by Gerard in 15971. .  Creeping thistle has many common names, including dashels and lettuce from hell.2.
 
The leaves, stalks and roots are edible but the spines make preparation difficult and the plant is rarely used as a food source, though it is high in protein and other nutrients. The heart of the flower is also edible - like the related globe artichoke. The plant has been chewed for toothache, while the roots may have diuretic and hepatic properties and have been used to treat indigestion. It is used as an ingredient in ‘The Botanist’ gin produced by the Bruichladdich distillery on Islay.
 
An abundance of nectar makes creeping thistle very beneficial for pollinators. The flowers also attract beetles.
Over 80 species are recorded as consuming this species, mainly beetles, flies, aphids and micro-moths and it is a foodplant for the painted lady butterfly Vanessa cardui and engrailed moth Ectropis crepuscularia. The seeds are an important food source for linnet Carduelis cannabina, goldfinch Carduelis carduelis and other finches.
 
Its vigourous invasive properties make creeping thistle an unwise deliberate introduction to a typical garden4. , but if  you have a meadow area it is a useful component.
 
References:
 
1.  Pearman, D. 2017. The Discovery of the Native Flora of Britain and Ireland, A compilation of the first records for 1670 species and aggregates, covering Great Britain, Ireland, The Channel Isles and the Isle of Man. Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland. p 158
 
2.  Vickery, R. 2019. Vickery’s Folk Flora, An A to Z of the Folklore and Uses of British and Irish Plants. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. London.p664
 
3.  Biological Records Office database 
 
4.  RHS advice on creeping thistle
 
Page written by Ceri Leigh, compiled by Steve Head
Creeping thistle Cirsium arvense 
 
Family -        Asteraceae  Daisy family
Perennial  -  Up to 150cm tall
Flowering -   July – September/October
Soil –            Damp
Sun -            Moderate
 
Creeping thistle is native throughout Europe. This plant  does well in moderate sunlight with an abundance of groundwater.  It is  dioecious (with sexes on different plants), though male plants can produce bisexual flowers.
 
Creeping thistle has tiny lilac florets upon a base of spiny bracts – leaf-like structures. The leaves are spiny and the plant produces many seeds by late summer which are dispersed on the wind. It has thick but brittle lateral roots that readily produce new plants if broken off, and is notoriously invasive - hence the common name.
 
First recorded botanically by Gerard in 15971. .  Creeping thistle has many common names, including dashels and lettuce from hell.2.
 
The leaves, stalks and roots are edible but the spines make preparation difficult and the plant is rarely used as a food source, though it is high in protein and other nutrients. The heart of the flower is also edible - like the related globe artichoke. The plant has been chewed for toothache, while the roots may have diuretic and hepatic properties and have been used to treat indigestion. It is used as an ingredient in ‘The Botanist’ gin produced by the Bruichladdich distillery on Islay.
 
An abundance of nectar makes creeping thistle very beneficial for pollinators. The flowers also attract beetles.
Over 80 species are recorded as consuming this species, mainly beetles, flies, aphids and micro-moths and it is a foodplant for the painted lady butterfly Vanessa cardui and engrailed moth Ectropis crepuscularia. The seeds are an important food source for linnet Carduelis cannabina, goldfinch Carduelis carduelis and other finches.
 
Its vigourous invasive properties make creeping thistle an unwise deliberate introduction to a typical garden4. , but if  you have a meadow area it is a useful component.
 
References:
 
1.  Pearman, D. 2017. The Discovery of the Native Flora of Britain and Ireland, A compilation of the first records for 1670 species and aggregates, covering Great Britain, Ireland, The Channel Isles and the Isle of Man. Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland. p 158
 
2.  Vickery, R. 2019. Vickery’s Folk Flora, An A to Z of the Folklore and Uses of British and Irish Plants. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. London.p664
 
3.  Biological Records Office database 
 
4.  RHS advice on creeping thistle
 
Page written by Ceri Leigh, compiled by Steve Head
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