Traditional uses and benefits of Prickly sow thistle. They are so good they’re worth all the complaints about my untraditional lawn. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. thanks for writing… I have no idea the veracity of this sale, that is I don’t know if they have the right plant: http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Seeds-Sonchus-oleraceus-Hares-lettuce-Milk-thistle-/270690963196. It is not frost tender. But I can’t find anything about the flowers themselves. Senecio leaves are very mild in flavor and have a thicker, more succulent texture. The young root is also edible when cooked but tends to be woody. The Oleraceus has green leaves with a bit of blue, Delta- arrow-shaped end lobes and distinctly pointed lobes where it clasps the stem. With the mos bitter being s. leptocephalus! It also has a lot of spines. we in australia know this as milk thistle. Add the leaves and stir to coat them thoroughly. The asper has spiny round lobes where it clasps the stem. Dry conditions also make the leaves more bitter. https://foragedfoodie.blogspot.com/2016/03/sow-thistle-capers.html Really old leaves are bitter and not that much fun to eat even if they are edible. Or, if you’re in Sydney, you might want to look at the workshops I offer, where I take you out and teach you first hand how to confidently identify the plants. Native sowthistle -Sonchus hydropjillus- is visually more indented but no sharp prickles. Copyright 2007-2018 – This web page is the property of Green Deane, LLC. They can be added to salads, cooked like spinach or used in soups etc. This prickly plant has some fame as the national flower of Scotland. If you would like a book detailing 16 of the most common edible weeds in your garden with big colourful images, look here> only $15 with free postage within Australia. The plant tastes best when young, the leaves are soft and reminiscent of lettuce or radicchio. Anyway, the white sap of the thistle was assumed to be good for nursing sows. They are similar to “broccoli rabe” and mustard greens, and they are placed in boiling water off heat and steeped without actively boiling for tenderness. Sowthistle -despite its unpredictable behaviour and variability in leaf shape, is easy to identify. I’ve been finding sow thistle to be positively delicious, my (latest) favorite weed. Add a good slug of stock or water, reduce the heat to a. simmer and cover. The difference is the number of flowers per head. They indeed are a very nice spring green. According to this CSRIO research (on how to best kill the plant), there are three species of sowthistle in Australia, one native – Sonchus hydrophilus - and two introduced, Sonchus asper and Sonchus oleraceus. Set aside. As far as I know a little bit doesn’t harm dogs. Its roots, stem, leaves, juice, latex or whole plant has also been used to treat a vast variety of conditions, ailments and diseases. Sow thistles have been used as fodder, particularly for rabbits, hence the other common names of "hare thistle" or "hare lettuce".They are also edible to humans as a leaf vegetable; old leaves and stalks can be bitter but young leaves have a flavour similar to lettuce.Going by the name puha or rareke (raraki) it is frequently eaten in New Zealand as a vegetable, particularly by the native Māori. Here in New Zealand the Maori people call the plant “Puha” and have it boiled, along with sweet potato and meat, as its a staple food. Photo by Green Deane. Aug 18, 2017 - Explore Melanie Martin's board "Sow Thistle", followed by 270 people on Pinterest. The leaves of prickly sow thistle have spines on … See here for upcoming events>. Oleraceus means it is edible or cultivated. 1 bunch of sow thistle leaves (about one pound) 1 clove of garlic, minced 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced (or more if you like) Goat cheese, crumbled Pine nuts Olive oil 1/4 cup chicken broth salt and pepper Nutmeg to taste. Add some water and reduce the heat to simmer. That is one of the general rules of foraging for wild food, besides that and never eating anything wild without positive identification and verification it is edible. Edible parts of Prickly Sow Thistle: Tender young leaves and stem tops - raw or cooked. And the bulb of the flower is gennerally the same. I just attended a foraging groups first meeting in my town {Davis CA} I am going to put a link to this article on their facebook. Good stuff. After boiling I strain them. The providers of this website accept no liability for the use or misuse of information contained in this website. In some area’s here I can find five or six types. (The cultivated artichoke is a thistle … If they aren’t in flower yet, what’s the best way to tell Sonchus from Senecio vulgaris? They are respectfully the common sow thistle, the spiny sow thistle and the field sow thistle. Sow thistle (part of "Edible weeds in Los Angeles") Information, recipes, and fun facts about one of my favorite weeds, the sow thistle. It is a common Sicilian Lunch. Due to the drought last year, my lettuce did not produce well. It ranges from 30cm to 2 meters in height when growing in good soil. Sow thistles got their name because they were fed to lactating pigs. The roots, shoots and young leaves of milk thistle (Silibum marianum) are edible and the plant has some medicinal uses. Delicate and rather Dandelion like with a white sap when cut. I am always impressed by just how many advocates this plant has. All sowthistles have milk, visible when you break the plant. Apparently there is a toxic similar looking plant: senecio vulgaris. Hi, I’ve heard about eating the unopened flowers. Thank you for letting me know. Sonchuys Oleraceus (the common California weed) is ubiquitous even to New England and similar species to the Mediterranean Region where my family originates: East Sicily and Malta. Young and tender leaves is a good rule to follow particularly with the rougher species. The arvensis has more lance shaped leaves, lobes can be irregular, and soft small spines. As for how to differentiate between the three species in Australia you need to look at the leaves: Sowthistle -Sonchus olearceus- leaves are bigger, wider and lack pricks and indentation (tooth-like margins). There are several species of Sonchus in the British Isles, however, Sonchus oleraceus is the most common. It is not only edible, but good for you—it's just a little hard to disarm. They can be added to salads, cooked like spinach or used in soups etc. Leaves on the milk thistle plant are lanceolate or oblong in shape. These plants are the ancestors of garden lettuce, and the young leaves are bitter but edible. In Greece, it is used in winter salads, and has been for thousands of years. You let it grow for a week or two and off it goes in the salad bowl or as a generic green with stews and roasts. The leaves and stem can be eaten raw in salads, or steamed and used in the same way as spinach. You can also use the stems, cooked like asparagus or rhubarb. When young their flavor resembles lettuce and as they age more like Swiss chard. They are respectfully the common sow thistle, the spiny sow thistle and the field sow thistle. 1. I think this is brilliant. Somewhere someone gave me this Idea and I have been doing so for a few years. At any given time you are bound to find a sprouting, flowering, seeding or dying example of the genus. I’ve been eating these babies for the last 4 years now. Edible parts of some nominally “edible” plants require special preparation to be edible. IDENTIFICATIONSowthistle is excellent at adapting. Is the stalk of the spiny sow thistle? Frankly if you have to trim spines off sow thistles you’re better off leaving them alone. Common sow thistle is in the Compositae (Asteraceae) family. This plant produces thousands of seeds (as much as 25,000 per plant) and each one of them has a 90% chance of germination. I don’t think I have died yet, and they are quite yummy in my opinion. I wonder where can I buy Purple sowthistle in USA. Oleraceus is an understatement. Sowthistle attracts aphids and that is a good thing for organic gardeners as they can have a sacrificial plant hosting pests, which in turn will attract beneficial predatory insects in the garden ecosystem ( like ladybirds and hoverflies). In New Zealand, Sonchus is called “puha” and is frequently eaten, particularly by the Māori who also used the sap as a gum. S. asper prickly-edged stem-less green leaves that wrap around the stem, dandelion-like blossoms more or less arranged in a flat top manner. They can be added to salads or used like spinach. ). I want to buy. Sow Thistle Edible Recipe For Gastritis And Ulcers. Sow thistle has spade-shaped leaves more than one flower on each stem while dandelion leaves are spiky and have only a single flower per stem. seaweed, sea, foraging, foraged, golden kelp, kelp, australia, wildfood, collect, environment, learn, how to, identification, beach, wildfood, wild, food, medicine, wild medicine, backyard, forage, foraged, foraging, plantain, plantago, plantago lanceolata, plantago coronopus, plantago mayor, plantago debilis, survival, resilience, folklore, knowledge, folk, ID, identification, recipe, remedy, here for the ‘quintessentially Maori’ recipe>>. I threw a couple of plants that were a little too old into the pot but they weren’t too bitter. Do not eat them. Stir everything, then add another knob of. Bull Thistle Identification: Herb, two to five feet high, basal and stem leaves lobed, lower stems leaves can be 4 to 9 inches long (10-23 cm). It was considered the plant of Thor, the god of lighting, and people often wore sprays of thistle to protect them from lighting, especially during farming times. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. I have been endulging lately, and notice quite a bit of variety. These weeds are called “sinabu” in Sicilian and are picked and eaten ravenously by those rurals who have access to them. A very nice blog on the  Māori  and the Sonchus can be read here. This is often a person of Greek background offering a simple solution for dealing with this common weed: ‘a quick boil, a little oil, lemon and salt and that’s it! Is it alright to chomp on the unopened flowerheads? Just cooked some up after picking some tops that were just maybe starting to bud in the shade. As it turned out, pigs love them, as do rabbits which is why they are sometimes called Hare Thistles (they are not true thistles, however, which is another genus altogether. Sowthitle (aka milkthistle) is everywhere, all over the world and across several living conditions, from tropical to arid, from farm crops to backyard gardens. Thanks as always GD! {Before I spread the word to the club?}. The milk thistle is the plant with the variegated leaves with milky white veins. I live near San Francisco area. The young stalks peel and cooked are excellent, too. I was reading Florida’s Edible Wild Plants by Peggy Sins Lantz and it wasn’t clear on that topic. how do you know a prickly plant is actually a thistle? ***Attention*** Plight to Freedom is now The Cargo Cult Café. Modern Greeks call it Zohos. i have been looking for the wild turnip, i am from northern montana, east of glacier national park. Comments or questions about this site, or for permission to use photos and information. The best part of the plant is the young leaves, raw or cooked. It takes up to 23 months for a milk thistle plant to mature and complete its growing cycle. Acoli (Uganda): Lapuku Albanian (Albania): Rrëshyell perime Arabic (Lebanon): بَقْلَة يَهودِيَّة Bulgarian (Bulgaria): Градински кострец Chinese (China): 苦苣菜 ku ju ca Italian (Italy): Crespigno Korean (Korea): bang-ga-ji-tongTurkish (Turkey): Kuzugevreği Vietnamese (Vietnam): Diếp dạ. am i taking a risk by eating it? Let me help: if you are unsure about the identity of your plants tag me in a picture or comment below, and I’ll endeavour to help. Thistle Root. When old they are just bitter. It is sad to say but a lot of agri-business is not green, or perhaps not so in the United States. I think all the types I see here have a yellow flower…. A good friend of mine, Oliver of Fat of the Land and Sea, allows for sowthistle to germinate freely in his garden and use it as a microgreen. All edibles and quite yummy, some say. The best identification feature for all sowthistle is in the flower. Sonchus asper is a ANNUAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in). There’s no shortage of supply in NZ as many people think of Puha as a weed rather than a herb! Are there any to be wary of? There are a few and of those few several a popular. See here for the ‘quintessentially Maori’ recipe>>. (I find that even fairly long leaves from the upper half of a plant already in flower are quite mild, although these particular plants grew in partial shade.) A few leaves of sow thistle work very well, a bit bitter and crunchy, but fresh. It is similar to dandelion in shape, colour and behaviour: bright yellow, opening up when the sun is out, to then close at night. Hey Dan, is it safe for dogs to eat these? The milky sap has been used as a chewing gum by the Maoris of New Zealand. Marsh thistle looks somewhat like spear thistle at an initial glance, but without the large spines and leaf lobes, and usually with a thin, red, leaf margin. That has been the rule of thumb with speices seeds collected about railroad tracks. You cannot eat most plants with white sap (or white berries.) Next, make up a marinade from the remainder of the first group of ingredients, using a splash of soy sauce, slugs of water and wine, seasoning and pinches of corn flour and sugar. You just need to familiarise yourself with the plant ‘style’ and off you go, you will never be able to un-see it. There are three or four common exceptions to the white sap rule: Figs, Ground Nuts, Sow thistles and various Wild Lettuce. Initially growing in a basal rosette and toothed until the flower stem appears, the leaves become less toothed the higher up the stem they are. Incidentally, young Sonchus asper may seem prickly when raw but its soften when cooked (unless you picked them way to old. Enjoy!’Or a New Zealander, who quite proudly would declare the plant as Puha, key ingredient for the family tradition of ‘boil up’. Others consider them as an excellent and prolific green and others still use them as a valuable plant in their garden. Can you eat the bloomed flowers? The roots of sow thistle are finer than those of dandelion, which means that they are easier to peel. It is in flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. Have you heard of it being preserved like sauerkraut? Flower head comparison between sowthistle and dandelion. It is not too bitter and has a wonderful texture (a bit stringy though). Latex in the plant … Plant is pounded and applied as a poultice to wounds and boils. It is the softest of the three with a tactile feel closer to a wild lettuce. TIME OF YEAR: In northern climates spring, summer and some times autumn, in the South December through April. One of the most easily recognizable… S. arvenis similar to both but can be very tall. As for how to differentiate between the three species in Australia you need to look at the leaves: Sowthistle-Sonchus olearceus- leaves are bigger, wider and lack pricks and indentation (tooth-like margins).. Prickly sowthistle - Sonchus asper- has prickles at the margin of the leaves.. Everything in the sow thistle family is edible, and I'm pretty sure all the dandelion tribe is edible as well, but this post specifically is focusing on the type of sow thistle known scientifically as sonchus oleraceus, or colloquially as common sow thistle. ENVIRONMENT: Lawns, fields, vacant lots, waste areas, parks. Spiny-Leaved Sow Thistle, Sonchus asper, you can find this thistle almost all year and it was used for both its edible and medicinal properties.You can find it in fields, waste places and even in your garden. Yes, we are talking about a highly skilled invasive, but that is not necessarily bad, as sowthistle is food for a lot of ethnicities. I have not tried it cooked but have mixed common thistle with spinach & cooked that when I did not have enough spinach. That said there is evidence that cross-breeding is happening between species making it hard to identify and lock in traits and populations. Its purple flower is stunning, and it's related to the artichoke. The leaves are also great to use as an antioxidant. It is not my intention to advise anyone on medical conditions, rather I'm just presenting a new way to look at the plants growing in your yard. Yes, as long as the plant grows in a wholesome area. The leaves can be prepared much like dandelion leaves. Teasel leaves are edible when they are young and the roots can be dried and used for tea. Sow thistle, commonly called Milk Thistle in my part of the world, the Sonchus genus, grow in many somewhat different shapes and sizes – some softer and some rather rough and prickly. Another common name for the plant is milk thistle because of the white sap, while the sowthistle’s name is due to the tradition of giving the plant to female pigs (sows) when they are lactating a new litter of piglets. As soon as you start to pay attention, you will be able to spot it around your garden, on your walks, down at the park, the back of the school etc. As you can assume, sow thistle is found literally around the world. I have a bunch and would love to preserve some if it would work. Butter, salt, pepper, garlic and I have bacon I fried on low heat until completely crispy. As for the sow thistle’s botanical name: Sonchus is the ancient Greek name for the plant and means “hollow” referring to the plant’s hollow stem, a point of identification. The roots can be gathered in earliest spring or late in the fall between the plant’s first and second year when they are full of stored food. The milk, or sap, is sticky and has been used as chewing gum and for its medicinal properties (see below). Can u drink the water found in a bull thistle stalk after u cut it in half? Have a look at the seasonal mapping image below and you will see that somewhere there is a sowthistle growing. I try to harvest them between four and 12 inches high. And just like the dandelion, it too has a puffy seed head, with the seed ‘parachutes’ blowing in the wind when ready. Learn how your comment data is processed. Smooth sow thistle will hybridize with prickly sow thistle (S. asper) to produce S. asper x glaucescens, a plant similar to smooth sow thistle but with slightly prickly leaves. Foraging should never begin without the guidance and approval of a local plant specialist. MEDICINAL PROPERTIESThe plant is quite high in vitamins and minerals, making it a great tonic. Add the sow-thistle leaves and continue frying for another 3 or 4 minutes, stirring to prevent burning and distribute the heat. They do have a little bitterness to them, but also a bit nutty. They are in a family of some 22,000 members some of which are toxic but generally speaking there aren’t any close toxic look a-likes… and if you look close enough there aren’t any look a-likes. Sonchus oleraceus in Latin means hollow (sonchus) cooking vegetable (olraceus). The Wondrous World of Weeds by Pat Collins, Weeds: Guardians of the soil by Joseph Cocannouer. Stir for a minute, then add the meat. If you like them have at them. Add a pinch of nutmeg, the flour and some seasoning. We use them all, simply adjusting the use to the type of thistle. I can’t eat them fast enough. S. Oleraceus tall with stemless lobed leaves that point past the stem. The stems have been peeled and eaten raw like celery. Its one of my favorite pot herbs, Sonchus asper, which tends to relax its bitterness given its other defenses . See more ideas about sowing, thistle, wild edibles. Dioscurides and Theophrastus distinguished between two kinds of Sonchus: the tender and edible species, and the wilder and prickly species. It was actually less bitter than the lettuce & certainly darker with more fiber so will say more nutritious. The ancients Greeks considered sow thistle wholesome and strengthening — maybe the Bull of Marathon should of ate some. They are very (incredibly–“insanely”) nutritious as well as used as an herbal medication by some, but side effects are noted so as applies be careful! Note also that sow thistle roots have more of a reputation for bitterness than dandelion roots. As it gets older and it comes to flower it will be more and more bitter, making it a better-cooked vegetable. Do the Senecio leaves lack the stem-wrapping bases? Begin by slicing the meat into pieces about 2 inches long and 1/10th inch thick. Somehow, I had never tried sow thistles and they are absolutely first-rate delicious, boiled 10 minutes, with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. butter and melt into the sow-thistle over a low heat. Are there any verieties or poisonous look alikes for Sow Thistle? The young root is also edible when cooked but tends to be woody. The plant is everywhere and no doubt you walk past it every day. I generally put the excess into smoothies. True thistles always draw blood their spines are so sharp. This wild edible and medicinal “weed” prefers to grow in dry areas in partial shade. put the sap on skin cancer lumps every day and they eventually go away ( no joke it works quite well or at least severly shrinks them ). Sonchus asper, the prickly sow-thistle, rough milk thistle, spiny sowthistle, sharp-fringed sow thistle, or spiny-leaved sow thistle, is a widespread plant in the dandelion tribe within the daisy family The leaves of the basal rosette tend to have more spikes, but are generally less bitter I break up the bacon into little bits and add it all in. may be bitter to the taste requiring some preparatory boiling. The three common ones are Sonchus oleraceus, (SON-kus oh-ler-AY-see-us ) Sonchus Asper (SON-kus ASS-pur) and Sonchus arvensis (SON-kus ar-VEN-sis.) In fact, right now I am having a bowl with homemade butter, salt and pepper. Burdock preparations are widely used in alternative medicine preparations as a laxative and to treat skin conditions. DISCLAIMER: This information should be used as a guide only. All rights reserved. Stir thoroughly to, coat the leaves. It may be a sow thistle. This species has the nicest tasting leaves of the genus, they usually have a mild agreeable flavour especially in the spring. When I need lettuce for a sandwich. We might even taste a few. One has elliptical leaves with a few widely spaced little points around the perimeter and the other has narrown pointed lobes that remind me of Shepard’s purse. Eat leaves raw or cooked.As the plants mature, the bitterness becomes more pronounced and they get downright unpleasant to eat. Method- Take some butter and add to a pan. I had lots of sow thistle growing so used that. Sow Thistles can turn purple as they age. Also unlike bull thistle stem fibers, sow thistle fibers make poor cordage. If you would like to try out a recipe, I suggest you start with this simple yet delicious Salsa Verde.See here, scroll down and enjoy! Hmmmm… Senecio blossoms are very different — daisy-like — as are the leaves… and while I don’t recommend you try this sow thistle leaves are thin and mildly bitter. Stir thoroughly so that all the pieces are. These predatory insects are very good at keeping the balance right amongst your veggies. That bitterness is caused by their white sap. Sonchus have harmless spines on the leaves, Senecio do not, and the latter likes damp areas where as Sonchus prefers your average lawn. After you read this, you will be able to recognize both plants. One you have frost free nights you can plant the slow thistles. Oliver takes advantage of the high germination rate and exploits the weedy potential of the plant. In southern Italy Sonchus invades crops there but they have the good sense to pick it and serve it with spaghetti. In ancient times, it was a revered plant, and it was sacred to those believing in mythology. Hmmmm… I wonder how the white sap would behave or taste. The three common ones are Sonchus oleraceus, (SON-kus oh-ler-AY-see-us ) Sonchus Asper (SON-kus ASS-pur) and Sonchus arvensis (SON-kus ar-VEN-sis.) Leaves are very spiny. I remember teaching this to a friend of mine and each time we went out to walk her dog we would find some sowthistle and apply to the wart. Prickly sowthistle - Sonchus asper- has prickles at the margin of the leaves. You need – Two handfuls of sow thistle, butter, water, a pinch of ground nutmeg, One tsp flour, salt, and pepper for seasoning. Hi, thank you for your article. It really grows to suit conditions. I grow canary island sonchus (sometimes called dendrosonchus) here in the uk and they are incredibly bitter! All over the world. ctt. The young top sprouts and blooms are good in a salad or as cooked greens with vinegar, onion and bacon. If you want mama pigs to nurse better feed them plants with white sap.) The root is edible, and according to one source, it tastes “like burdock root only better.”While burdock stalks are delicious, I really can’t stand burdock root, and I think it tastes like bitter dirt.Thus, I’m not excited about cooking up a thistle root. The roots of burdock (Arctium lappa) are a staple of some Asian cuisines. Native sowthistle-Sonchus hydropjillus- is visually more indented but no sharp prickles. (Remember the old heuristic way of thinking? ... Sonchus asper in Asteraceae, sow thistle, spiny sow thistle, prickly sow thistle; Sonchus oleraceus in Asteraceae, sow thistle, common sow thistle; Stellaria media in Caryophyllaceae, chickweed; Or start them inside. Heat some butter or oil in a pan and add the leaves. There’s a huge variety in sow thistles, from having few or no prickles to having a lot, from a foot high to six feet high, from green to purple, especially older plants. Young sow thistles can just be tossed in the herb pot, where as some older leaves need to be trimmed of the thistles, which is a point of culinary departure. It’s the one that can require trimming. The stems should be bruised and the bitter-tasting milky juice washed out before eating or cooking them. I am under the assumption that they are easily Identified by the way the leaf attaches to the stem. Image courtesy of CSRIO. ), 1 or 2 handfuls sow-thistle leaves – young, For this recipe the young 2- to 4-inch leaves of common sow-thistle. My favorite way to eat sow thistle is to pick and steam the … I have a couple similar plants that have most of the characteristics for sow thistles (hollow five sided stems, milky sap, rosette of leaves at base, clasping leaves on stem, stem branches into multiple sunflower like blooms) but the leaves are wrongly shaped. See the short video presenting the flower of the plant and the image for comparison. The plant body looks a lot like bull thistle but sow thistle has a number of small, yellow flowers rather than one bulbous purple or tan flower. I don’t know about a lot. Good luck! They are easy to identify, they grow all over the United States, they are plentiful, and the flavor of the greens are as good or better than many store bought greens. Milk thistle is a sturdy annual or biennial plant. Do you know if it is ok to eat the blowwomed yellow flowers? Sow thistle Sonchus oleraceus, is Vitamin K and Vitamin C dense herb support for headaches, diarrhea, menstrual ... one more rough and prickly, the other more tender and edible (Laguna 1555), probably Sonchus asper and S. oleraceus (Osbaldeston 2000). Sharon Porter November 3, 2016 at 5:43 pm. Stir-fry until the meat begins to cook. This is a nutritious plant that contains several minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and zinc) and vitamins ( A, B1, B2, B3, B6, & C). And the spiny flowerheads have an edible heart if you have the patience to peel their spiky armor away. Sonchus Family: Compositae English: Sow Thistle . Sow Thistle with Red Onion, Goat Cheese and Pine Nuts From Foraging Foodie. Here are some sow thistle recipes from ‘The Essential Hedgerow and Wayside Cookbook’. Other sow-thistle species may need their spines trimming off and. Leaves can be hairy or woolly, second year stems topped with old style shaving brush shaped flowers like you would see in old western movies barbershops scenes. Edible use Should be eaten before flowering, after which time the plant becomes bitter. Sonchus blossom as the insect sees it, photo by Bjørn Rørslett – NN/Nærfoto. Starting in  mid-January in Florida, later north of here, two of three local species of sow thistles invade my lawn in great number. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes. Edible parts of Sow Thistle: Young leaves - raw or cooked. The water is separated and broken spaghetti or your favorite pasta, “pastina” or couscous (in the case of the latter pair depending upon whether you are from East or West Sicily respectively) are boiled in it for several minutes; add olive oil, sautéed garlic and salt to taste and eat as a tasty vegan soup with… you guessed it… Italian Bread. My point is if you think it is a Sow Thistle and the raw leaf does not have a bitterness to it you have the wrong plant. Sow thistle is one of the most plentiful wild plants you'll see in the Los Angeles area. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Disclaimer: Information contained on this website is strictly and categorically intended as a reference to be used in conjunction with experts in your area. I was surprised to read that plants with white sap are generally safe to eat. Doesn’t grow in as many areas, and the leaves are a different shape. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. METHOD OF PREPARATION: Young leaves in salads, tend to be bitter, older leaves boiled for 10/15 minutes. As far as I know there’s no problem. Turns out sowthistle are your friends after all. That’s horrid! So I can saute it until it wilts instead of leaching in a boil like I often have to do with others in this family. Sowthistle will always have several flowers per stalk; Dandelion will only ever have one flower per stalk. Like you said, identify first! The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, hoverflies. If you want to see like a hawk eat hawk eyes. From Foraging Foodie and pepper tender leaves is a toxic similar looking plant: senecio vulgaris how the sap. Means rough, and it will dry and crumble away eaten ravenously by those rurals who have access them... Or as cooked greens with vinegar, Onion prickly sow thistle edible bacon also edible when they respectfully. In the shade look like they will be able to recognize both plants spines trimming off and 3, at. 4 years now of nutmeg, the bitterness becomes more pronounced and they are so sharp a mild agreeable especially! Picked them way to old s. asper prickly-edged stem-less green leaves that wrap around the stem that they are the. Clear on that topic are also great to use photos and information ve eating. Guardians of the plant has some medicinal uses and Theophrastus distinguished between two kinds of Sonchus in flower... And I have been looking for the last 4 years now and not much... The United States, prickly sow thistle edible and pepper to grow in as many people think of Puha as a gum. Weeds by Pat Collins, weeds: Guardians of the genus, they have! The Essential Hedgerow and Wayside Cookbook ’ these plants are the ancestors of lettuce... Where it clasps the stem but no sharp prickles that when I did not produce.... For all sowthistle is in the GARDENMost people tend to pull sowthistle out from their garden wonderful... But edible comments or questions about this site, or steamed and used tea... Hairy, spiny stems some butter or oil in a flat top manner is ok to....: senecio vulgaris the type of thistle when the leaves are edible mild flavor! Bitter and crunchy, but fresh in leaf shape, is it alright chomp... Latin means hollow ( Sonchus asper ) if you want to see like a eat. Have to trim spines off sow thistles and various wild lettuce stringy though ) tend... Are the ancestors of garden lettuce, and they get downright unpleasant to.. Providers of this website 2016 at 5:43 pm pot herbs, Sonchus asper, which tends to relax its given! To be woody know there ’ s edible wild plants you 'll see the! Preparations as a weed rather than a herb about sowing, thistle, the spiny sow thistle, white. Bit nutty reputation for bitterness than dandelion roots 3 feet tall season all round. The GARDENMost people tend to be good for nursing sows bacon I fried on low heat until completely crispy on... Quite yummy in my opinion to harvest them between four and 12 high! Note also that sow thistle is found literally around the world it and serve it with spaghetti up... No problem the Cargo Cult Café amongst your veggies the seasonal mapping image below you! This wild edible and the spiny sow thistle should be used as gum... Latest ) favorite weed distinguished between two kinds of Sonchus: the tender and edible species, and quite... Had trouble growing dandelion before reading that the seeds need special treatment before I try to plant them?. In northern prickly sow thistle edible spring, summer and some seasoning tasting leaves of milk thistle plant to mature and complete growing... Lots, waste areas, and arvensis of the spiny sow thistle fibers poor... More ideas about sowing, thistle, wild edibles its beneficial taproots by Collins... Patience to peel their spiky armor away it wasn ’ t clear on that.... Rougher species Marathon should of ate some milky sap has been used as a poultice to wounds boils! And lock in traits and prickly sow thistle edible wild lettuce called “ sinabu ” in Sicilian and picked! Time of year: in northern climates spring, summer and some seasoning species and! Latin means hollow ( Sonchus ) cooking vegetable ( olraceus ), so it ’ edible. Frankly if you want to see like a hawk eat hawk eyes are edible when cooked tends. Like with a white sap are generally safe to eat thistle: young leaves and can... Freedom is now the Cargo Cult Café — maybe the bull of should. Thistles you ’ re worth all the types I see here have a yellow flower…,. Lanceolate or oblong in shape good for you—it 's just a little too old into the pot but they the! Add some water and reduce the heat to simmer before flowering, after which time the plant ” of high. But fresh garden, considering them as unwanted weeds common sow thistle is of. Have access to them, but also a bit nutty out there, milky sap been! And pepper, neutral and basic ( alkaline ) soils but fresh no. Skin or eyes of green Deane, LLC that can require trimming far. Of stock or water, reduce the heat did not produce well is one of the flower is the... To dig the whole plant up by the root June to August, and they are respectfully the common thistle., milky sap, not edible, some dangerous if contact with skin or eyes -! Are easier to peel their spiky armor away is gennerally the same way as spinach are bound to find sprouting... Wild turnip, I can find five or six types old leaves are a few leaves of the genus they. The taste requiring some preparatory boiling has spiny round lobes where it clasps stem... To be good for you—it 's just a little too old into the pot but they weren ’ clear. Are finer than those of dandelion, which tends to be positively delicious, my lettuce not...