natural herbs
Cabbage Thistle
Cirsium oleraceum
Herb: Cabbage Thistle
Latin name: Cirsium oleraceum
Synonyms: Cnicus oleraceus
Family: Compositae
Edible parts of Cabbage Thistle:
Young leaves - cooked and used as a vegetable. Root - cooked. Harvested before the plant flowers, it was formerly used as a table vegetable. The root is likely to be rich in inulin, a starch that cannot be digested by humans. This starch thus passes straight through the digestive system and, in some people, ferments to produce flatulence.Description of the plant:
Plant:
PerennialHeight:
120 cm(4 feet)
Flowering:
July toSeptember
Habitat of the herb:
Marshes, fens, streamsides and wet woods in Britain, avoiding acid soils.Other uses of Cabbage Thistle:
The seed fluff is used as a tinder. The seed of all species of thistles yields a good oil by expression. No details of potential yields etc are given.Propagation of the herb:
Seed - sow early spring or autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 8 weeks at 20°C. Division in spring or autumn.Cultivation of Cabbage Thistle:
Marshes, fens, streamsides and wet woods in Britain, avoiding acid soils.Medicinal use of the herb:
None knownKnown hazards of Cirsium oleraceum:
None knownPlant information taken from the Plants For A Future.