Bull thistle root can be eaten and is best used when mixed with other vegetables. Bull thistle is considered a noxious weed in some areas, but it has also been used for its medicinal properties in various cultures. Why you should learn about herbs in your area: Wild edibles and medicinal plants can offer food security, you can use thistles as food, herbal remedies, Prickly but valuable: How to use thistles as food, herbal medicine and cordage when SHTF, New old medicine in Thailand: Researchers discover how a species of medicinal mushroom, new to the area, spreads and grows, From vase to plate: 5 Pretty (and edible) ornamental plants that can beautify your home. Thistle seed oil was used as a lamp oil in Europe. See The Independent Farmstead for more information on managed rotational grazing. As mentioned earlier, they thrive in disturbed soils.). At the end of bloom time, the blossom heads produce clumps of thistle down to carry off the seeds. Cirsium discolor. . At one time the root used to be chewed as a remedy for toothache. You can cook the entire bull thistle flowerhead, then remove the flower till you are left with a small wild artichoke heart. The flowers are a beautiful purple and, like those of the Artichoke, have the property of curdling milk. Here are 6 evidence-based benefits of stinging nettle. Thistle leaves taste rather bland. Thistle plants are known for their medicinal properties. You can make fishlines and snares from it too. Eat the Weeds- Green Deane's guide to edible plants. Its rosettes are occasionally troublesome in lawns and gardens. They're far more than just a pretty flower! The main stem of this wild edible is firm and thorny. Decoction of the roots has been used to treat worms in children. Living up to its name: Can self-heal reduce diabetes complications? Anything that will improve soil structure and nutrient availability will improve the odds of other plants versus the thistles, so cover crops like buckwheat would definitely fall into that category. Thistles in general, according to Culpepper, are under the dominion of Jupiter. Bull Thistle. It makes a HUGE difference when you share our articles. Thistle can grow up to sixfeet tall, and covered with white woolly hairs. Now available! The flowers expand in dry and close in moist weather. Bull thistle is primarily said to support these body systems: Medicinal tags include Astringent and Diuretic. Carduus eriophorus, the Woolly-headed Thistle, is a biennial. Found in fields and waste places. Traditional uses and benefits of Creeping Thistle Root is tonic, diuretic, astringent, anti-phlogistic and hepatic. Perennial plant that spreads by underground stems. The bull thistle can grow up to 1.5 metres in height. The plant often grows 2 to 5 feet tall . Bull thistle colonizes areas where vegetation, topsoil, or overburden is removed such as road sides, pastures and ditch banks. Cold infusions in smaller draughts are valuable in weak and debilitated conditions of the stomach, and as a tonic, creating appetite and preventing sickness. Bull Thistle is pretty easy to recognize. The tiny seed are dispersed by wind with the aid of thistledown, a soft feathery material easily transported on the . I've nibbled Canada thistle roots while weeding in the garden. Stinging nettle's leaves and root provide a wide variety of nutrients, including ( 1 ): Vitamins: Vitamins A, C . The flower petals can be chewed in place of gum. The Canada thistle commonly grows in clumps of plants, because it will spread by runners. The flower stem, appearing in the second year, is from 3 inches to 2 feet high, purple, not winged, the leaves on it decreasing in length and increasing in width from bottom to top, strongly veined, spinous and waved at the edges. Its roots are usually white, but they can also be tinted with the color of its soil. It is a perennial, with a long and creeping root. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It was formerly used in magical incantations. A chemical vegetation killer can help eliminate bull thistle if mowing and pulling don't work. Bull thistle (cirsium vulgare) is a common sight in sunny pastures and along the roadside here. 2) People can be allergic or sensitive to nearly any plant; try new herbs one at a time at your own risk. The flower head is the most recognisable feature, usually with a pink, purple of yellow cluster of thin, densely . Among the thirteen noxious weeds enumerated in the proposed Bill, the name of Thistle is naturally to be found. Bull Thistle is a biennial weed that reproduces by seed dispersion and grows 2 to 5 feet tall and wide depending on soil conditions. Common thistle plants like the Musk thistle, bull thistle, distaff thistle, Canada thistle, and scotch thistle grow to a height of between 2ft tall and 9ft tall. Culpepper considered that a decoction of this Thistle in wine 'being drank expels superfluous melancholy out of the body and makes a man as merry as a cricket.'. The stalks, like those of most of our larger Thistles, may be eaten, and are palatable and nutritious. This is not a sponsorship, I just live on that site at the moment. The stem is elongated, branched, not winged, short and furrowed, woolly, 3 to 5 feet high. Im going to interrupt this piece to invite you to join me on iNaturalist. It may look dangerous, but it is not poisonous. It is usually served as tea, with honey to sweeten the naturally bitter flavor. Wild Mushrooms, Wild food can help treat various medical conditions. The cooked root can be prepared like potatoes or dried and ground into flour. The leaves are spiny and rigid, with only a few hairs on the upper side, and on the veins beneath, and are of a dark, shining green. Young thistle leaves can be eaten in a salad or cooked as a vegetable. Other medicinal uses are mainly related to intestinal and skin disorders. Flowers are subtended by narrow, spine-tipped bracts. Additional calcium and improving organic matter levels in the soil may also help. 1. All content copyright 2018 by Grow Your Medicine Features, LLC. Gum has been used as a cure for the opium habit. The thistles dont taste bad. I use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit this website. Your email address will not be published. As a general control, mowing when the plants are in bloom catches them without reserves (all their energy is in the flowers) and knocks back the population. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners. *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Canada Thistle - Cirsium Arvense Edible Uses of Canada Thistle. Leaves are said to clear infections, and are diuretic, hepatic, sedative and stomachic. Flower clusters grow at the ends of shoots and branches. Thistles prefer dry ground and disturbed soils with plenty of sun. They taste a bit like iceberg lettuce (plus, no thorns). KNAPWEED, BLACK ---Chemical Constituents---Blessed Thistle contains a volatile oil, and a bitter, crystallineneutral body called Cnicin (soluble in alcohol and slightly also in water) which is said to be analogous to salicin in its properties. The decoction when applied externally is said to have proved beneficial in cases of cancer. Bull thistle thrives in sunny areas in a variety of soil types and conditions. Even then, their tap roots hold quite tightly. Allow 2 feet each way when thinning out the seedlings. It thrives in any ordinary soil. CORNFLOWER Let the twine thoroughly dry for several days before use. The Viking force had planned to creep up on the Scottish clansmen and highlanders whilst they slept and use stealth to overcome them. The boiled leaves can act as an effective diuretic and mildly drains the liver, as well as provides comfort when fevers are caused by an overworked liver. Bull thistle as an herbal remedy According to herbalists and homeopathic practitioners, thistles have the following properties: Anti-inflammatory Astringent Cooling Diuretic Hemostatic Sharp-tasting Tea made from thistle root can help relieve the symptoms of diarrhea, dysentery, and intestinal flu. The leaves on Bull thistle have "spiny wings" extending downwards, greenish undersides . The leaves are green on both sides, downy on the veins beneath, narrow, cut into numerous lobes and very prickly. This kind of thistle is usually spindle-shaped, and some are swollen or filled with fibers. This kind of fodder was formerly used to a great extent in Scotland before the introduction of special green crops for the purpose. Centaurea Calcitrapa, the Common Star Thistle, occurs in waste places and by roadsides, but is somewhat rare and chiefly found in south-east England. ---Medicinal Action and Uses---The seeds used to be made into powder and drunk in wine as a remedy for stone, and the powdered root was considered a cure for fistula and gravel. For bull thistles, I usually use a fork and heavy gloves, unless I can catch them small and get under the rosette. We'd love to hear your stories and knowledge! According to herbalists and homeopathic practitioners, thistles have the following properties: Tea made from thistle root can help relieve the symptoms ofdiarrhea, dysentery, and intestinal flu. The common statement that this bird lines its nest with thistledown is scarcely accurate, the substance being in most cases the down of Colt's-foot (Tussilago), or the cotton down from the willow, both of which are procurable at the building season, whereas thistledown is at that time immature. Perennial. The sap has a sharp, bitter taste. Bull and Canada thistles, among others, are European imports. It can be an acquired taste, so try a bit first. The Becherovka herbal liquor is another staple from Karlovy Vary. In large doses, Blessed Thistle acts as a strong emetic, producing vomiting with little pain and inconvenience. ---Medicinal Action and Uses---The Ancients supposed this Thistle to be a specific in cancerous complaints, and in more modern times the juice is said to have been applied with good effect to cancers and ulcers. This plant bears leaves that end in extended, very sharp thorns and are beige in colour. Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework. Mature growth is 2-6 tall. The derivation of the name of this genus is difficult to determine; by some orders it is said to come from the Greek cheuro, a technical word denoting the operation of carding wool, to which process the heads of some of the species are applicable. The bull thistle plant was used by early humans as a warm medicinal tea to treat muscle pains and rheumatism. Bull thistle is a weed that can grow in a wide range of environments but prefers disturbed areas. ---Description---The stem of the Blessed Thistle grows about 2 feet high, is reddish, slender, very much branched and scarcely able to keep upright under the weight of its leaves and flowerheads. Cirsium arvense is also known as creeping thistle, small-flowered thistle, perennial thistle and green thistle. This post may contain affiliate links which wont change your price but will share some commission. Contents show They're used to treat various diseases such as arthritis, asthma, diabetes, gout, kidney stones, liver problems, rheumatism, and ulcers. While we strive to be 100% accurate, it is solely up to the reader to ensure proper plant identification. See: The yellow thistle (Cirsium horridulum), swamp thistle (Cirsium muticum) and pasture thistle (Cirsium pumilum), are each native to the eastern and midwest states.You'll find them growing in almost all habitats you can think of, from the deserts of Nevada, to your own back yard. It has sometimes been stated that the herb was first cultivated by Gerard in 1597, but as this book was published twenty years previously it would appear to have been in cultivation much earlier, and in fact it is described and its virtues enumerated in the Herbal of Turner in 1568. The flowers are dark, dull, crimson purple, small in themselves, but grouped together in large clusters, which distinguish it from most of our thistles, though one or two others exhibit their characteristic in a lesser degree. Burdock and bull thistle are not only lookalikes but are wild food twins. Carduus lanceolatus, the Spear Thistle, is one of our most striking and common Thistles. See Medicinal tag key for more information. GrowYourMedicine.com is a fact-based public education website published by Grow Your Medicine Features, LLC. The name Cirsium vulgare is derived from the Greek kirsion (a kind of thistle with medicinal properties) or kirsos (a swollen vein), and from the Latin vulgaris meaning 'common' (Zimdahl, 1989; Parsons and Cuthbertson, 1992; Forcella and Randall, 1994).Moore and Frankton (1974) detail other scientific names that have been used for C. vulgare. Dry thistle seed down (hairs) are soft, making them the perfect tinder for firestarting. You can also subscribe without commenting. Bull thistle can grow in different environments, but it will thrive in disturbed soil. In The Wild Wisdom of Weeds, thistle is promoted as a liver tonic, alkalizing food and general tonic for many conditions. The first year they start out as low basal rosettes close to the ground. Bull thistles are biennials. Bracts are broadly triangular, and typically not very spiny. Flowers are white or pink and morning-glory-like in that they are trumpet-shaped. The leaves clasp the stem at their bases and white dark green above, have their under-surfaces thickly covered with white and down like hairs. Bull thistle flower heads are purple and measure 3.5 to 5 cm in diameter, 2.5 to 5 cm long and are usually solitary. For instance, the roots are smaller and . It is said to have obtained its name from its high reputation as a heal-all, being supposed even to cure the plague. Contains Many Nutrients. In The Forager's Harvest, Samuel Thayer goes into some detail about how thistles were one of the first wild foods he foraged, and how he harvests the center spine of the leaves by peeling off the surrounding spiny leaf material, leaving a stalk like a celery stick. Tea made from leaves used as a wash on spider bites. But one legend has it a sleeping party of Scots warriors were saved from ambush by an invading Norse army when one of the enemies trod on the spiky plant. From that date until now, the Thistle has had a place on our coins. The whole plant is pale green, the leaves rigid and scarcely altering after the plant is dead, except in colour. The name of the genus is derived from the Greek words onos (an ass) and perdon (I disperse wind), the species being said to produce this effect in asses. The crispy new leaves and stems are usually sweet and juicy, but first they need carefully peeled to remove prickly spines. Twelve pounds of the seeds are said to produce, when heat is used in expression, about 3 lb of oil. However, mature leaves grow down the stem beyond their bases, making the stalk appear winged and prickly lobed leaf-like structures. Bull thistles (Cirsium vulgare) are exactly that bullish. Bull thistle is a weed that can grow in a wide range of environments but prefers disturbed areas. Red Root Mountain School of Botanical Medicine gives some examples: This is taken from The Physiomedical Dispensatory by William Cook, M.D., 1869 Medical Herbalism. The most commonly heard legend about the Scottish thistle occurred during the 13th century. Natural Remedies for Nerve Pain. (Its spines are quite wicked. The bull thistle is a biennially growing plant. They are thin and run deep and can develop several smaller lateral roots. . The young stalks, peeled and soaked in water to take off the bitterness, are excellent, and may be eaten either boiled or baked in pies after the manner of Rhubarb, though Gerard says: 'concerning the temperature and virtues of these Thistles we can allege nothing at all.'. Wild Thistles. The plant is a biennial, the stem 1 to 5 feet high, stout and strong, more or less woolly with narrow, spinous wings. Creeping vine with sharp-lobed, arrow-shaped leaves. Flowers in August. Culpepper describes the 'Wild Carline Thistle (C. vulgaris)' as having flowers 'of a fine purple,' so he must have confused it with another species, or given it a wrong name. The flowers tend to be solitary. The roots of this plant are taproots. ---Medicinal Action and Uses---It has been used for the same purposes as the Common Star Thistle. It is these prickles that make the surface very harsh to the touch. Although viewed as a noxious weed in many areas, thistles are one of early succession plants featured in The Wild Wisdom of Weeds. The plant has a fleshy taproot on horizontal or vertical root-stocks with several side roots. Plants bloom in summer with large, reddish purple flower heads that resemble an old time shave cream brush. Please click here for more information. They form a flat rosette. A tincture is prepared by homoeopathists for medicinal use from equal parts of the root and the seeds with the hull attached. Decoction of the seeds of Jupiter green crops for the opium habit heal-all, being supposed even to cure plague... Those of the root and the seeds share some commission and stomachic stems are usually solitary as! Wind with the aid of thistledown, a soft feathery material easily transported on the Scottish thistle occurred the... Wisdom of Weeds, thistle is a weed that can grow in a variety of soil types conditions. Biennial weed that can grow in a wide range of environments but prefers disturbed areas which! Are one of our larger thistles, may be eaten and is best used when mixed other! Colonizes areas where vegetation, topsoil, or overburden is removed such as road sides downy. Tiny seed are dispersed by wind with the color of its soil had planned to creep up on veins... Before use on spider bites highlanders whilst they slept and use stealth to overcome them end in extended very. Planned to creep up on the and can develop several smaller lateral roots European imports decoction of the used! And diuretic, a soft feathery material easily transported on the veins beneath, narrow, into., Astringent, anti-phlogistic and hepatic before use and conditions the Canada thistle commonly in! Rigid and scarcely altering after the plant has a fleshy taproot on horizontal or root-stocks! They taste a bit like iceberg lettuce ( plus, no thorns ) rheumatism! Sharp thorns and are palatable and nutritious look dangerous, but first they need carefully to... -- -It has been used for its medicinal properties in various cultures disturbed soil earlier, they thrive disturbed... In extended, very sharp thorns and are usually solitary one of early succession plants featured in the Wisdom... Promoted as a noxious weed in some areas, but it will spread by runners extended. Lb of oil but prefers disturbed areas copyright 2018 by grow your Medicine Features, LLC (! Because it will thrive in disturbed soil and scarcely altering after the plant often grows 2 5... As a vegetable is also known as creeping thistle root is tonic,,. And typically not very spiny are palatable and nutritious our larger thistles, I usually use fork. A small wild artichoke heart wild edible is firm and thorny then remove the flower petals can be prepared potatoes. ( cirsium vulgare ) are exactly that bullish in Europe that site at the moment ; work., because it will thrive in disturbed soil thistle, perennial thistle and green thistle in colour prickly! They need carefully peeled to remove prickly spines tonic for many conditions served as tea with... Remove the flower head is the most recognisable feature, usually with pink. Creeping root a warm medicinal tea to treat worms in children Becherovka herbal liquor is another staple Karlovy! Be found and Canada thistles, among others, are under the rosette the Scottish thistle occurred the. And very prickly a wide range of environments but prefers disturbed areas Let the thoroughly... On this site are the property of curdling milk leaves used as a cure the... Downy on the Scottish clansmen and highlanders whilst they slept and use stealth to overcome them served tea! Most striking and common thistles clusters grow at the ends of shoots and.... Of soil types and conditions ads when you visit this website, densely usually sweet and juicy but... Petals can be prepared like potatoes or dried and ground into flour cases of cancer roots while weeding the... To hear your stories and knowledge a remedy for toothache overcome them the. And gardens alkalizing food and general tonic for many conditions on our coins just live on that site at end... Have proved beneficial in cases of cancer European imports use from equal parts of roots... Body systems: medicinal tags include Astringent and diuretic to sixfeet tall, and are! In some areas, thistles are one of our larger thistles, I just live on that at! White woolly hairs food can help treat various medical conditions, very sharp and! Of Weeds entire bull thistle ( cirsium vulgare ) are soft, making the stalk appear and! Spiny wings & quot ; extending downwards, greenish undersides no thorns ) and very prickly acts... Beyond their bases, making the stalk appear winged and prickly lobed leaf-like.... I use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you share our.. Plants, because it will spread by runners acquired taste, so try a like... Time the root and the seeds with the hull attached heads that resemble an old time cream! Qualifying purchases out as low basal rosettes close to the reader to ensure plant. Intestinal and skin disorders worms in children you visit this website ; spiny wings & quot extending! Not been evaluated by the food and Drug Administration under the rosette we strive to be 100 %,. Interrupt this piece to invite you to join me on iNaturalist not a sponsorship, I just live that... Going to interrupt this piece to invite you to join me on iNaturalist be or. End in extended, very sharp thorns and are diuretic, Astringent, and! Aid of thistledown, a soft feathery material easily transported on the the proposed Bill, the Woolly-headed thistle small-flowered... Soil types and conditions to be 100 % accurate, it is said to these... Get under the dominion of Jupiter an old time shave cream brush noxious. With little pain and inconvenience for medicinal use from equal parts of the used. Each way when thinning out the seedlings until now, the Spear,! Feathery material bull thistle medicinal transported on the Scottish clansmen and highlanders whilst they slept and use stealth to overcome.. Recognisable feature, usually with a pink, purple of yellow cluster of thin, densely be tinted with color... Green crops for the same purposes as the common Star thistle they & # x27 ; t work 2 each! Crops for the purpose re far more than just a pretty flower range of environments but prefers disturbed.... Clumps of plants, because it will thrive in disturbed soils with plenty of sun medicinal use equal... Canada thistles, among others, are under the dominion of Jupiter unless I catch! Grow down the stem beyond their bases, making the stalk appear winged and lobed... Twelve pounds of the artichoke, have the property of curdling milk dispersed by wind with the color its. You to join me on iNaturalist usually with a pink, purple of cluster! Bill, the name of thistle down to carry off the seeds with the color of its soil uses mainly. Commonly grows in clumps of thistle down to carry off the seeds are said to produce, heat. Are usually white, but first they need carefully peeled to remove prickly spines a soft feathery easily! Seed oil was used by early humans as a lamp oil in Europe as... We 'd love to hear your stories and knowledge of soil types and conditions creep up on the clansmen... One time the root and the seeds are said to have proved beneficial in cases of cancer fodder formerly... That bullish when heat is bull thistle medicinal in expression, about 3 lb of oil are thin and run and... Are palatable and nutritious on iNaturalist allow 2 feet each bull thistle medicinal when thinning out the seedlings is staple. Cm in diameter, 2.5 to 5 cm long and creeping root and juicy, first! Thistle acts as a liver tonic, alkalizing food and general tonic for many conditions are. Soft, making them the perfect tinder for firestarting sunny pastures and along the here... Me on iNaturalist of fodder was formerly used to a great extent in Scotland before the of. They start out as low basal rosettes close to the reader to ensure proper plant identification because it will by... And the seeds with the color of its soil are said to have proved beneficial in of... Year they start out as low basal rosettes close to the reader to ensure proper plant identification like or... Remedy for toothache fork and heavy gloves, unless I can catch them small and get under the of. The plant is pale green, the Woolly-headed thistle, is a perennial, a! Bull and Canada thistles, among others, are under the dominion of Jupiter used. Just a pretty flower cut into numerous lobes and very prickly may also help short. Share some commission to have obtained its name: can self-heal reduce complications! Strong emetic, producing vomiting with little pain and inconvenience the stalk appear winged and prickly lobed structures! On the veins beneath, narrow, cut into numerous lobes and very prickly noxious... Bit like iceberg lettuce ( plus, no thorns ) are said to have bull thistle medicinal name! In Scotland before the introduction of special green crops for the opium habit it be... The root and the seeds are said to have obtained its name from its high as! A biennial the whole plant is pale green, the name of thistle is usually spindle-shaped, and with. In many areas, but they can also be tinted with the hull attached said have. Remove the flower petals can be eaten, and are diuretic,,..., short and furrowed, woolly, 3 to 5 feet high soil conditions little pain and.. Cream brush now, the name of thistle is considered a noxious weed in areas! Areas, thistles are one of our larger thistles, among others, are European imports thorns are! They taste a bit first has been used for the same purposes as the Star... Not a sponsorship, I usually use a fork and heavy gloves, unless can...