Herb: Common Star Thistle


Latin name: Centaurea calcitrapa


Family: Compositae



Medicinal use of Common Star Thistle:

The powdered seeds are drunk as a remedy for stone. The powdered root is said to be a cure for fistula and gravel.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Biennial


Height:
60 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
July to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Waysides and waste places on sandy, gravelly and chalky soils.

Edible parts of Common Star Thistle:

Leaves and young stems - raw or cooked.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow April in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. If you have sufficient seed, it can also be sown in situ during August/September.

Cultivation of Common Star Thistle:

Waysides and waste places on sandy, gravelly and chalky soils.

Known hazards of Centaurea calcitrapa:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.