Sow Thistle / Spring / Summer/ Autumn / Edible

Common names

Sow thistle, hare thistle, hare’s lettuce

Botanical name

Sonchus (genus of several species)

Scientific Classification

Kingdom – Plantae

Order –Asterales 

Family – Asteraceae

Physical Characteristics for Sow Thistle

Leaves

Looks like a true thistle, but the leaves are much softer.  Sow Thistles have a rosette of basal leaves from which a flower stalk is sent up. 

Flowers

The flowers are similar in appearance and colour to Dandelions. When the leaves are split, they exude a white sap or “latex”

Seeds

Again similar to Dandelion, with the seed ‘parachutes’ blowing in the wind when ready. The main difference is the number of flowers per head. Sow thistle will always have several flowers per stalk whereas Dandelion will only ever have one flower per stalk.

Habitat

Native to Europe and Asia, though can be found in most temperate regions. Found on bare ground, pavement cracks, agricultural land, and garden borders.

Known hazards

Unclear if any recorded

Could be confused with

Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris), which has blunt fuzzy leaves rather than jagged spiky leaves, is a potential poisonous lookalike. Sow thistle could also be confused with Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale), and members of the true thistle family, Cirsium, but both of these are edible. Dandelions do not have spikes on the edges of their leaves, and true thistles have much tougher leaves.

Edible use

Should be eaten before flowering, after which time the plant becomes bitter. The leaves and stem can be eaten raw in salads, or steamed and used in the same way as spinach. The leaves of the basal rosette tend to have more spikes, but are generally less bitter

Notes on Herbal uses

It has been used for various reasons, including as a sedative, tonic, blood purifier, and hepatic, as well as a treatment for warts.
If you have a medical complaint, please  see your doctor

Extra notes from the Foragers

The botantical name comes from the ancient Greek word meaning “hollow”, in reference to the hollow stem.
The “milk” of the sow thistle has been used as a folk remedy for warts