Herb: Carline Thistle


Latin name: Carlina vulgaris


Family: Compositae



Medicinal use of Carline Thistle:

The roots and leaves are diaphoretic and purgative.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Biennial


Height:
45 cm
(1 foot)

Flowering:
July to
October

Habitat of the herb:

Poor soils on dry banks and pastures, especially on chalk.

Edible parts of Carline Thistle:

Flowering head - cooked. Used as a globe artichoke substitute, though they are considerably smaller and even more fiddly.

Other uses of the herb:

The flower heads expand in dry weather and close in moist weather. The dried flowers will continue to do this for a long time and they thus form a basic hygrometer for use in weather forecasting.

Propagation of Carline Thistle:

Seed - surface sow in a cold frame in the spring. The seed usually germinates in 4 - 8 weeks at 15°C. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.

Cultivation of the herb:

Poor soils on dry banks and pastures, especially on chalk.

Known hazards of Carlina vulgaris:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.