1994. Close-up of a Thistle floret, showing male (fused anthers) and female parts (stigma/style and ovary/achene) and pappus (modified sepal and achene transportation mechanism) (photo by Nina Munteanu. A hot infusion of the whole plant has been used as a herbal steam for treating rheumatic joints. The seedlings are capable of establishing themselves in grassland. Still, my go-to Almost the entire plant is covered in very sharp spiny bristles that easily penetrate all but the most sturdy materials.”. There are many thistle species throughout North America (and the rest of the world), but the two common in my yard are Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) and bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare). 1974. What better way of discouraging it is there than eating it? Bull thistle flower head (photo by Nina Munteanu). Her novel “A Diary in the Age of Water” was released by Inanna Publications (Toronto) in June 2020. Each floret is bisexual (containing female stigma and style and male anthers). ), sweat bees (Agapostemon spp.) It’s also been used to treat other inflammatory conditions, such as inflammatory bowel syndrome. The branched pappus acts as a parachute to reduce the terminal velocity of the falling achene so that wind can disperse it farther. Weeds like bull thistle aren’t usually welcome in home gardens. Cold infusions in smaller draughts are valuable in weak and debilitated conditions of the stomach, and as a tonic, creating appetite and preventing sickness. When we were done with the process, Merridy thought someone might like to eat the seeds we’d removed to eat the thistle hearts. [Meuninck EWPUH], "The common thistle is a pernicious weed that spreads freely by means of its seed which can be dispersed by the wind over a large area. Search for: creeping thistle medicinal uses. The Bull thistle was used by early humans as a warm medicinal tea. Because the pollen won’t germinate on the thistle flower that produces it, the Bull thistle needs to get its pollen to another flower head through cross-pollination by pollinators such as an insect or bird. As the insects move from one flower to the next, they release some pollen on the sticky stigma; the pollen then travels down the tube to fertilize the egg at the base. They are labeled an 'injurious weed' in the UK, and a noxious weed in Australia and several US states. He that has a good harvest must be content with some thistles—Spanish Proverb, Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) photo by Nina Munteanu. A hot infusion of the whole plant has been used as a herbal steam for treating rheumatic joints. 3 doctors agree. Frying up the thistle hearts (photo by Nina Munteanu). 1989. Like the aster, the Bull thistle is a composite plant with a dome-like flower head or capitulum of up to 200 hundred tubular florets (together called an inflorescence); flower heads may occur solitarily or in terminal clusters of two or three on a single plant. 10: 112pp. For many people, relationships with thistles have generally been painful and irritable, but now you can get your own back! The roots of bull thistle have been used as a poultice and a decoction of the plant used as a poultice on sore jaws. Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium) is another spiny plant with pinkish flowerheads which grows in similar habitat conditions. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The leaves are dark, more slender than milk thistle, and are finely furry underneath. When trying to identify a bull thistle-like plant with prickles, one should first check to make sure it is really a Cirsium, or not. Several of the thistles I observed in the woodland-field ecotone where I walked had white flowers amid the deep purple ones. This plant should not be encouraged, and if growing on your land should be cut down before it sets seed. The Bull Thistle presents its pollen to pollinators through a stigma/style piston mechanism. (h/t to PreppersWill.com) What is bull thistle? Milk thistle has been used medicinally since the 4th century BC. Except for the spines, all parts of bull thistle can be used for food, making it essential for foragers. Thistle comes in several forms- Blessed or Holy Thistle, Milk Thistle, Bull Thistle, Scotch Thistle and many others. 1998. population ecology of the biennials Cirsium vulgareand Cynoglossum officinale in a coastal sand-dune area. The roots were also used as an aid to digestion, and to treat stomach cramps. The Bull Thistle is anchored by a taproot which can be as much as 28 inches long. But while most gardeners consider bull thistle as invasive plants, you can use certain types of thistle as a food source, an herbal remedy, and emergency cordage. • A hot infusion of the whole plant used as a herbal steam for treating rheumatic joints. New Zealand Journal of Botany 27: 401-414. Bleeding piles have been treated by a decoction of the whole plant, used … Milk thistle is referred to in the earliest Greek writings as a liver-protecting herb. "There are several plant genera commonly named "thistles", and the reason for this is they look very similar and bear prickles. Emerging flower head from the spiny involucre of the Bull thistle (photo by Nina Munteanu). Overview Information Scotch thistle is a plant. Her non-fiction book “Water Is…” by Pixl Press(Vancouver) was selected by Margaret Atwood in the New York Times‘Year in Reading’ and was chosen as the 2017 Summer Read by Water Canada. Flower head or capitula (larger than Canada thistle) often gumdrop-shaped, containing hundreds of tiny purple flowers, all being disk florets (no ray florets). What we normally eat of the artichoke are the soft pads inside the bracts that surround the flower cluster, and the receptacle (the heart) to which the florets attach. You can identify the Bull thistle by several features: Given that the Bull thistle belongs to the Artichoke sub-family (Carduoideae) and tribe (Cynareae), I wondered if the Thistle was edible. Bull thistle was also a top producer of nectar sugar in another study in Britain; it ranked third with a production per floral unit of (2323 ± 418μg). ", "The inflorescence of burdock species (Arctium) might be mistaken for bull thistle because of the involucral bracts with hooked tips and the purple flowers. They can be readily separated, however, based on the large basal leaves and the absence of the prickles from the leaves. The next step was to cut away the involucre near the stem and remove the florets with the pappas and achenes. A functional approach to common British species.” Unwin Hyman Ltd., London, UK. Additionally, while bull thistle flowerheads and leaves can be woolly, the Scotch thistle is more pronouncedly woolly-hairy and the whole plant is rather silvery as compared with the greener bull thistle. One of the most common uses of milk thistle is to treat liver problems. 2017. See also "names and medicinal uses" below. It is also naturalised in North America, Africa, and Australia and is an invasive weed in some areas. Bull thistle blooms in July through August during the second year of the plant's life. Medicinal use of Common Thistle: The roots have been used as a poultice and a decoction of the plant used as a poultice on sore jaws. Preparing the thistle hearts as an appetizer before dinner was a fun project, but rather prickly! Worth it, as far as I’m concerned. For more information, see Noxious Weed Lists and Laws or visit the website of the Washington State Noxious Weed Contro… First: Use it as directed on the bottle. Bull Thistle. Milk thistle is also known as Mary thistle or holy thistle. Except for the spines found on the leaves, stems, and flower bases, the rest of this plant is considered edible. Weeds like bull thistle aren’t usually welcome in home gardens. Top answers from doctors based on your search: Disclaimer. Sheldon, J.C. and Burrows, F.M. Bull thistle root is edible, but it is best served with other vegetables. Foraging the Bull Thistle”. “A Close-up View of Two Thistles: “Bull” and “Nodding””. Public and private landowners are not required to control infestations of bull thistle that occur on their property in King County. ( Log Out /  The upper bracts normally curve up towards the flower head (reflexed) and the lower ones bend down (decurrent). I had to pull them away firmly, revealing a rounded whitish receptacle that looked like a pocked mini-dome—the heart of the thistle inflorescence—with visible ‘spiral’ arrangement. The style pushes the stigmas out from between the pollen-carrying anthers that surround it. “Cirsium vulgare (spear thistle)”. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The Bull thistle also provides seeds to granivores (consumers of grains and seeds) such as goldfinches. Herb: Globe Thistle Latin name: Echinops ritro Family: Compositae Medicinal use of Globe Thistle: The root is anti-inflammatory and galactogogue. Although it is considered an invasive species and weed, the Bull thistle still contributes beneficial ecosystem services such as serving as nectar sources for pollinators such as honey bees (Apis spp. Cirsium vulgare, the spear thistle, bull thistle, or common thistle, is a species of the Asteraceae genus Cirsium, native throughout most of Europe (north to 66°N, locally 68°N), Western Asia (east to the Yenisei Valley), and northwestern Africa (Atlas Mountains). Cirsium vulgare, the spear thistle, bull thistle, or common thistle, is a species of the Asteraceae genus Cirsium, native throughout most of Europe (north to 66°N, locally 68°N), Western Asia (east to the Yenisei Valley), and northwestern Africa (Atlas Mountains). The potential health benefits of milk thistle are explored below. Supports liver health. 2004. 2020. J. Ecol. Monograph, Research Branch, Canada Department of Agriculture, No. 0. CABI Invasive Species Compendium. “Ontario weeds: Bull thistle”. Cook young flower stems before serving. “Bull Thistle (Spear Thistle, Plume Thistle, Lance-leaved Thistle)”. Bull thistles in the rosette stage are very sensitive to the supplication of herbicides when applied early in the growing season. Medicinal Uses "The Chinese use thistle teas and decoctions to treat appendicitis, internal bleeding, and inflammations." The branching hairs also help to loosen the achenes from the capitulum when captured by the wind. EatTheWeeds. Leather gloves made it doable. The dispersal effectiveness of the achene-pappus units of selected compositae in steady winds with convection. (When we first moved here, the place was overrun with thistles. She is co-editor of Europa SF and currently teaches writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Removing the achenes and pappus, revealing the thistle heart (photo by Merridy Cox). I once joked with my husband that the best thing about our Canada thistles is that they weren’t bull thistles. (h/t to PreppersWill.com) What is bull thistle? Answers from trusted physicians on thistle medicinal uses. They also showed how you can harvest the root (which means destroying an entire plant), but it looked like too much work and I decided that I wasn’t prepared to sacrifice an entire plant to satisfy my curiosity. The leaves were used to treat neuralgia, and the fresh flowers were chewed to cover the medicinal tastes. So, I did some research and then, after lunch, I returned to the Bull thistles armed with my friend’s gardening gloves, a set of small garden shears, a pair of tweezers and my trusty SLR camera. [PFAF], http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Cirsium%20vulgare&redblue=Both&lifeform=7, http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cirsium+vulgare, "Gerard reported that "... being stamped before the floure appeareth, …, and the juice pressed forth, causeth the haire to grow where it is pilled off, if the place be bathed with the juyce". Current Medicinal Uses A leaf tea made from Canada thistle is used as a tonic and diuretic and has been used for tuberculosis. The bull thistle plant was used by early humans as a warm medicinal tea. A paste of the roots, combined with an equal quantity of the root paste of Amaranthus spinosus, is used in the treatment of indigestion. Johnston, Brian. The Eclectics, a school of medical herbalists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, used milk thistle to treat varicose veins and various pelvic congestions, including those linked to menstruation and to the liver, spleen, and kidneys. uses of bull thistle. “Common/Bull Thistle” SeeingNatureCCG, March 10, 2019. The hollow stem. Chipmunk checks out thistle seeds (photo by Merridy Cox). Holm et al., 1997. Medicinal Uses: Finely shredded and used in a poultice, common thistle cures suppurating wounds. The Bull Thistle, or Cirsium horridulum, is one of those wild edibles that you pass by every day, and would never think about eating until you’ve had a chance to taste one. ( Log Out /  The outer reddish-green layer easily splits away from the delicious inner light-green layer. Wildflowers Of WisconsinWild… But while most gardeners consider bull thistle as invasive plants, you can use certain types of thistle as a food source, an herbal remedy, and emergency cordage. Lancelate leaf of Bull thistle showing sharp spines (photo by Nina Munteanu). of … CABInternational informs us that this thistle “has the potential to compete with many crops and natural species and displace them from their natural habitats. Bull thistle root can be eaten and is best used when mixed with other vegetables. The easiest way is to see if the pappus bristles have conspicuous feather-like hairs, in which case it is a Cirsium, or if the bristles are missing or very tiny, which is a feature of the genus Carduus. 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