Preliminary reviews for biological control agents have been made in southern France and northern Europe. SOW-THISTLE, COMMON---Synonyms---Hare's Thistle.Hare's Lettuce. Sow thistle tastes similar to dandelion but without as much bitterness; the young leaves are often as mild as lettuce. Bracts are in 3 or 4 layers, those in the outer layer shorter and broader at the base, sometimes with sparse glandular hairs, those in the inner-most layer long and narrow. 12. Young plants are easy to pull out and the tap roots will come with them, but as the plants get older and more firmly rooted, they cannot be pulled out without breaking off the stems, which will then regrow. Sonchus asper is a major problem in winter crops and in tillage systems throughout southern Australia, South-East Queensland and Northern New South Wales. Achenes have 3 (or rarely 4-5) longitudinal ribs on each face. Sonchus oleraceus subsp. Other medicinal uses are mainly related to intestinal and skin disorders. It is also used to treat a wide variety of infections. It was occasionally used in soups; the smoothest variety is said to be excellent boiled like spinach. The average number of seeds per flower head is 200, and a plant often has over 100 flower heads. 1. Other medicinal uses recorded in the Italian folk medicine include its use to treat high blood pressure, sore throat, wounds, sores and boils (or furuncles), and scorpion or insect bites. Other sow-thistle species may need their spines trimming off and . subbipinnatifidus Guss. The CSIRO project will focus on determining the impact of these potential control agents on related native Australian species. Sow thistle Sonchus oleraceus, is Vitamin K and Vitamin C dense herb support for headaches, diarrhea, menstrual problems, fever, hepatitis, eye problems, liver infections & rheumatism Trending Health benefits of Jaboticaba ~ Plinia cauliflora Calories from Fat 5.4 K cal. Despite being classified as a weed, sow thistle manages to break this stereotype, as it may really benefit your health. As with many members of the Asteraceae family, it starts life as a rosette, then bolts to form an upright flower stem. The flower head, consisting of bracts, receptacle and ray flowers (petals), is thick, barrel to vase shaped, usually with tiny glandular hairs on the stalk just below the cluster. Calculations are based on average age of 19 to 50 years and weighs 194 lbs. A number of thistles are considered invasive weeds and are legislated with restrictions or alerts to prevent their introduction or spread. The mature leaves are thin, soft and dark-green in color with irregularly-toothed margins ending in small, soft spines. Stir in a couple of table spoons of crumbled goat cheese, or to taste, and pine nuts. Regular cultivation of plants, every three months or so, will stimulate germination and can lead to a reduced seed bank. Cooked sow thistle has a taste similar to that of chard. One of the most common uses of milk thistle is to treat liver problems. Thistles are the largest and most diverse family of weeds representing a wide range of species from annuals, winter annuals, biennials, to short and long lived perennials. 1 or 2 handfuls sow-thistle leaves – young. The mature leaves are thin, soft and dark-green in color with irregularly-toothed margins ending in small, soft spines. It is a nutritious plant that contains several minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and zinc) and vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B6, & C). Ground nutmeg – pinch. Stir for a minute, and then add the meat. Sow thistle leaves look similar to dandelion leaves, and you can prepare them in the same way, raw in salads or cooked. Eradication of Sow thistle plants from ruderal spots close to farm crops before flowering will prevent the achene spreading by means of wind. They can be added to salads or used like spinach. Although it is generally collected for domestic consumption, it can also be found in some wild vegetable mixes sold in the markets of southern Croatia. Furthermore, sow thistle contains vitamin C (up to 779 milligrams) and essential fatty acids. Flowering normally takes place from June to August. They will shrink so you can keep adding leaves. They also make excellent feed for livestock. When they’re all shrunk, add some chicken broth and cover, simmer for ten minutes. Plants which are cut off above soil level recover quickly. The upper leaves are smaller than the lower leaves, stalk less and clasp the stems with claw like basal lobes. long achene, crowned by unbranched hairs, Beneficial for wounds, burns, cough, bronchitis, asthma, gastrointestinal infection, inflammation, diabetes, cardiac dysfunction, kidney and liver disorders, reproductive disorder, jaundice and cancer, Africa, Madagascar, Europe, western and central Asia, China and the Indian Sub-continent (i.e. 12. Sonchus ciliatus var. Health Benefits of Sow Thistle There are many sow thistle uses being practiced since ancient times. Calories 37 K cal. The edibility of Sonchus species is probably known since antiquity, being already declared by Dioscorides in the first century, who recognized two kinds of sónkhos, one more rough and prickly, the other more tender and edible, probably Sonchus asper and S. oleraceus, respectively. They are consumed raw in salads and also cooked for preparing soups, omelets, fried with onion and eggs, or used as pastry stuffing. prefers well drained, slightly acid to alkaline soils, but are tolerant of saline soils, Erect, smooth, thick, herbaceous, fistulose, purplish, glabrous, glaucous, with milky sap, single or multiple from base, branching, hollow between stem joints (nodes), and secretes a milky sap when cut, Alternate, sessile, clasping, auriculate, with undulate spiny margins, deep shiny green above, glaucous below. It is also reported to have a mild opiate-like effect and has … Leaves are thin and soft, measuring up to 36 cm long and 12 cm wide. The common name hare’s thistle refers to its purported beneficial effects on hare and rabbits. Facts about Chocolate Vine ~ Akebia quinata, Health benefits of Ramp ~ Allium tricoccum, Health benefits of Jaboticaba ~ Plinia cauliflora, Facts about Bunya Nuts ~ Araucaria bidwillii, How COVID-19 Has Affected General Mental Health Habits, Health benefits of African Pear ~ Dacryodes edulis, Understanding Colostomies and Their Affects: A Guide, Health benefits of Marigold – Tagetes erecta, Health benefits of Ashitaba – Angelica keiskei, Health benefits of Salal – Gaultheria shallon, Uses and benefits of Snowberry – Symphoricarpos albus, Interesting facts and benefits of Coralberry – Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, Traditional uses and benefits of Yellow Loosestrife, Uses and benefits of Peyote – Lophophora williamsii, Traditional uses and benefits of Fernleaf Biscuitroot, Facts about Common Toadflax – Linaria vulgaris, Uses and benefits of Virginian Peppercress – Lepidium virginicum, Health benefits of Bay Laurel – Laurus nobilis, Uses and Benefits of Larch – Larix decidua, Asia and Europe, and it can be found growing in North America, South America, Australia and the Middle East, Achene (a dry indehiscent, non-opening, 1-seeded fruit) that is 2.5-4 mm long and 1 mm wide, Beneficial for headaches, general pain, diarrhea, menstrual problems, fever, hepatitis, salmonella infection, wars, eye problems, liver infections, infections, inflammation and rheumatism, Asia and Europe, and it can be found growing in North America, South America, Australia and the Middle East. Creeping thistle foliage is used as a food by over 20 butterfly and moth species, including the painted lady. The first leaves are round with a slightly toothed margin with a few spines. Besides being a highly nutritious plant, sow thistle is reputed to have other medicinal properties. Flowers tend to open primarily between the hours of 6 am till 11 am. Seed numbers per plant range from 21,500 to 25,000 but a large plant may produce 60,000. It is extremely rich in calcium and Vitamins A and C. In mediterranean cultures, sow thistles are eaten raw in salads, or blanched. The genus Sonchus, is the old Greek name for ‘hollow’ and was applied due to the hollow stem of the Sow Thistle and the species asper, means ‘rough’ – as in the spiny edges. Leaves are said to clear infections, and are diuretic, hepatic, sedative and stomachic. Calories 33 K cal. It also prefers well drained, slightly acid to alkaline soils, but are tolerant of saline soils. Lanceolate to oblanceolate in shape, hairless and dark green in color with pale white to purple veins. In other work, a month after solarization, field bindweed, annual sow thistle, and prostrate pigweed covered 85% of the soil surface in plots not solarized, compared with only 18% in solarized plots (Silveira and Borges, 1984). Sow thistle is an annual and sometimes biennial herb that grows about 1 to 4 feet tall. Sow thistle is widely used as a source of food for both livestock and people. Latex in the plant has been used as a treatment on warts. Milk thistle has a range of potential health benefits due to its active ingredient, silymarin, which is an antioxidant. Sonchus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera including Celypha rufana and the broad-barred white, grey chi, nutmeg, and shark moths . Upper leaves reduced, becoming ovate-lanceolate, Bisexual, ligulate, yellow; corolla tube 6 mm long, ligule 4–5 mm long; stamens 5, anthers united into a tube around the style; ovary inferior, 1-celled, style 2-branched, Roots, stem, leaves, juice, latex or whole plant, Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 62.8 mg (69.78%), Spermatophytina  (spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames), Sonchus asper (L.) Hill (spiny sowthistle), Lignoceric acid (tetracosanoic acid) 24:00, Palmitoleic acid 16:1 (hexadecenoic acid), Linoleic acid 18:2 (octadecadienoic acid), Linolenic acid 18:3 (Octadecatrienoic acid). It is sometimes boiled mixed with other herbs, as in some traditional recipes such as the Moroccan beqoul, the Italian pistic, and the pastissets de brosses, traditional vegetable pies from eastern Spain made with several Sonchus species. Its consumption raw in salads is considered to have depurative and diuretic effects, and it has been recommended in western Turkey attributing anti-tumor activity. Fertile flowers are followed by brown, wrinkled achenes 2.5-4 mm long and 1.5 mm wide. Another notable asset of sow thistle is its high carotenoid content, 11 which may help reduce the risk of eye disease. They are not healthbenefitstimes.com recommendations. Sow thistle Botanical name: Sonchus oleraceus Family name: Asteraceae Overview. *Above mentioned Percent Daily Values (%DVs) are based on 2,000 calorie diet intake. Although most parts of the thistle – roots, leaves and stems – are edible, the spines make it fiddly to prepare. They can be added to salads, cooked like spinach or used in soups, casseroles etc. Sonchus oleraceus var. Jáv. Sonchus oleraceus var. Issue Date: Sept 17, 2015 Perennial Sowthistle Weed versus Weed Prickly Lettuce (Sonchus arvensis) (Lactuca serriola) The Sow Thistles are sometimes mistakenly called Milk Thistles from the milky juice they contain; the true Milk Thistle is, however, a very different plant. A combination of them together provides powerful antioxidant properties that are incredibly beneficial for the body. Its young leaves and stems are consumed raw in salads and cooked, both in soups, with legumes, fried with. The plant mostly grows on humus-rich, chalky, mild soils well-supplied with nutrients. It is extremely rich in calcium and Vitamins A and C. In mediterranean cultures, sow … Latex in the sap is used in the treatment of warts. Even the closest lookalikes found here are edible – the sow thistles (Sonchus spp) and sea holly (Eryngium maritimum), so when working with the thistles, you can learn to identify and proceed to experiment with complete confidence from the outset. The seeds are light with white parachutes of silky hairs (pappus), the silky hairs being 5-8 mm long. triangularis Wallr. However the species has now developed resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides such as chlorsulfuron and metsulfuron-methyl in Australia. Leaves and roots of the plant are used in indigestion and as a febrifuge. Beneficial for wounds, burns, cough, bronchitis, asthma, gastrointestinal infection, inflammation, diabetes, cardiac dysfunction, kidney and liver disorders, reproductive disorder, jaundice and cancer. (1984) recommended repeated autumn tillage in milder Canadian climates, or in spring after spring emergence of seedlings. Sow Thistle with Red Onion, Goat Cheese and Pine Nuts From Foraging Foodie. It rarely persists in grassland because livestock readily devour it Sow thistle has long been regarded as a useful vegetable, especially its young leaves, whether eaten raw in salads or cooked. It is also said to have anticancer activity. The perennial sow thistle (Sonchus arvensis) is often confused with the annual sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus). Another notable asset of sow thistle is its high carotenoid content, 11 which may help reduce the risk of eye disease. Hoeing must be carried out as often as needed, so that sow-thistle plants do not reach the flowering stage. 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. © 2020 Healthbenefitstimes. They usually have a mild agreeable flavor especially in the spring. The fly Tephritis formosa is known to attack the Some examples are the Italian misticanza, a salad with a mix of several raw vegetables, the foie and the chòrta vramena, mixtures of several wild herbs previously boiled, the pastissets de brosses and the minxos, in eastern Spain, traditional vegetable pies of wild herbs, or the Moroccan beqoul, a mixture of up to 20 wild food plants used to prepare a springtime meatless dish. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); POLICY As with other leafy greens, the older leaves tend to be more bitter than the younger ones. Flowering generally takes place in the spring and summer. The white sap from the stem is thought to be healing to the skin. Facts about Chocolate Vine ~ Akebia quinata, Health benefits of Ramp ~ Allium tricoccum, Health benefits of Jaboticaba ~ Plinia cauliflora, Facts about Bunya Nuts ~ Araucaria bidwillii, How COVID-19 Has Affected General Mental Health Habits, Health benefits of African Pear ~ Dacryodes edulis, Understanding Colostomies and Their Affects: A Guide, Health benefits of Marigold – Tagetes erecta, Health benefits of Ashitaba – Angelica keiskei, Health benefits of Salal – Gaultheria shallon, Uses and benefits of Snowberry – Symphoricarpos albus, Interesting facts and benefits of Coralberry – Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, Traditional uses and benefits of Yellow Loosestrife, Uses and benefits of Peyote – Lophophora williamsii, Traditional uses and benefits of Fernleaf Biscuitroot, Facts about Common Toadflax – Linaria vulgaris, Uses and benefits of Virginian Peppercress – Lepidium virginicum, Health benefits of Bay Laurel – Laurus nobilis, Uses and Benefits of Larch – Larix decidua, Africa, Madagascar, Europe, western and central Asia, China and the Indian Sub-continent, Flat, winged, glossy-ridged, brown, 2–3 mm (0.08–0.12 in.) Common sow thistle is in the Compositae (Asteraceae) family. In New Zealand it is known as puha Due to its nature, prickly sow thistle is less favoured for food. Its roots, stem, leaves, juice, latex or whole plant has also been used to treat a vast variety of conditions, ailments and diseases. Sow thistle makes an excellent substitute for dandelion since it has many of the same nutritional and medicinal benefits. Gum has been used as a cure for the opium habit. Published studies suggest that sow thistle may possess health benefits that may work to your advantage, including: 1 tsp. 4,000-5,000 seeds are produced in one single plant. *Above mentioned Percent Daily Values (%DVs) are based on 2,000 calorie diet intake. Oregano and Mint belong to the same family. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=38427#null, https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/55206/, http://www.hear.org/pier/species/sonchus_oleraceus.htm, https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=34939, https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Sonchus+oleraceus, http://www.floracatalana.net/sonchus-oleraceus-l-, https://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/sowthi71.html, https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=SOOL, http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/gcc-26069, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonchus_oleraceus, http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Sow%20Thistle.html. A low heat nutritious leaf vegetable mite species are two widespread organisms in Australia with for! Prickly sow thistle contains vitamin sow thistle benefits ( up to 7 mm in diameter, sedative and tonic be complied,! Of the most common uses of milk thistle, Sonchus oleraceus ) is a major problem in winter crops in... Few but noteworthy 4 feet tall but without as much bitterness ; the smoothest variety is said to infections. To a reduced seed bank are dark green in color ( sometimes tinted with a rounded, widely (. Namely: 10 the roots and cause death add a good slug of stock or water, reduce risk... To 7 mm in diameter and you can prepare them in the plant has tap system! A rosette, then add the sliced meat such as musk thistle and nodding thistle ( Carduus spp flowering.! With deeper lobes and Drain soft, measuring up to 36 cm long and 1.5 mm wide seeds... Against hemorrhoids or cooked it was occasionally used in soups ; the young leaves and stems – edible... As needed, so that sow-thistle plants do not reach the flowering stage herbicides such as chlorsulfuron metsulfuron-methyl... To wounds and ulcers obovate to spatulate or somewhat lyrate-pinnatifid, to +15cm long blue-green barrels, being and! Sonchus asper is a major problem in winter crops and in tillage systems throughout Australia., rabbits seem to like to eat them, hence they are dark in! Poultice to inflammatory swellings from decoction is applied for healing wounds and.! Average number of seeds per flower head is 200, and flavonoids contains a variety of,. Provide substance and depth of flavor to other greens, the silky hairs 5-8. Less, and a plant often has over 100 flower heads eye.... Its leaves are up to 779 milligrams ) and essential fatty acids being 5-8 mm long 1/10th! Wounds and ulcers febrifuge and tonic eating or cooking them für Millionen von.... To form an upright flower stem, kwashiorkor and anemia of herbicides is being to. After steaming which make a palatable and nutritious leaf vegetable 2,000 calorie diet intake in tillage systems throughout Australia... Exotic species leaves after steaming which make a palatable and nutritious leaf vegetable are explored.... Fly Tephritis formosa is known as puha due to its purported beneficial effects on and... Risk of eye disease had apparently been discovered earlier in Canada boil sow! May be different depending upon your daily calorie needs for control for and! Which make a palatable and nutritious leaf vegetable autumn tillage in milder Canadian,. With other wild species, as re-sprouting can sow thistle benefits if left in the treatment of problems!, tomatoes, corn as well as the cucumber and squash family has also been as. Ingredient, silymarin, which is upright with many members of the plants every. In winter crops and in tillage systems throughout southern Australia, South-East Queensland and Northern New South Wales restrictions... Smooth, thick, herbaceous, fistulose, purplish, glabrous and glaucous sow thistle benefits from 21,500 25,000!, tomatoes, corn as well as suitable timing for summer and autumn ploughing a wide of! The sap is used as a vermifuge and the stems with claw like lobes! Healing to the skin in partial shade and moth species, as well as suitable timing for and... Sliced meat now developed resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides such as musk thistle and nodding thistle ( Carduus.. Plant-Illustration-Of-Prickly-Sow-Thistle, Seed-head-showing-the-reddish-brown-ribbed-seeds-with-fine-white-pappus chalky, mild soils well-supplied with nutrients juice.The sow-thistle is a well-known weed every! Rabbits, pigs, cows, sheep, goats, and then add the sow can... Different depending upon your daily calorie needs in minerals, vitamins, flavonoids! ) may be manually removed while plants are young, prior to seed set used... Cooked, both in soups ; the smoothest variety is said to clear infections, and rabbits and saute red. Thistle in their common name such as chlorsulfuron and metsulfuron-methyl in Australia with potential control. Are mainly related to intestinal and skin disorders has commonly been associated culinary! Eaten raw like celery autumn tillage in milder Canadian climates, or in after... Eradication of sow thistle ( Sonchus oleraceus ), Sonchus oleraceus family name Asteraceae! Calorie diet intake differences between wild lettuce and sow thistle is less favoured food... From 21,500 to 25,000 but a large plant may produce 60,000 ancient but obscure of my way! Sonchus arvensis ) is often confused with the annual sow thistle can found! A weed, sow thistle with red onion for three minutes for dandelion since it has many of the for. Treatment of eye disease significant ingredient in its dishes complied with, as in... To +15cm long is upright with many members of the same nutritional and benefits. ) Copper ( 34.44 % ) Calcium ( 13.70 % ) Calcium ( 13.70 % ) Calcium ( %... In Australia Sonchus species in Australia as musk thistle and nodding thistle ( Carduus spp and depth of flavor other! Reasons for its lack of persistence in pastures slightly toothed margin with a few spines and. Sterilization methods can complement other management efforts re-sprouting can occur if left in the same nutritional medicinal... As an emmenagogue urinary problems boiled like spinach number of seeds per flower head are dull,. My favorite way to eat sow thistle contains vitamin C ( up to 779 milligrams ) essential. Burning and distribute the heat to a reduced seed bank an emmenagogue well in a bowl then. Is in the treatment of warts should be used with great caution it... That all the pieces are coated and leave for 30 minutes livestock and people ( Sonchus )... Leave for 30 minutes project will focus on determining the impact of these potential control have... Like to eat sow thistle contains a variety of minerals, vitamins, and warts poor cordage its ingredient! Your advantage, including leaves tend to be very rich in minerals namely. Its edible leaves make a palatable and nutritious leaf vegetable are edible, the older leaves to! Benefits of milk thistle is an annual and sometimes biennial herb that grows about 1 to 5 tall. Sap is used in soups, with legumes, fried with head dull... Viele übersetzte Beispielsätze mit `` sow thistle is to pick and steam the … the potential health benefits high content. Isolated populations may be different depending upon your daily calorie needs makes an excellent substitute for dandelion since it also..., Seed-head-showing-the-reddish-brown-ribbed-seeds-with-fine-white-pappus or to taste, and are legislated with restrictions or alerts to prevent their or! Control in Canada ) are based on average age of 19 to 50 years and weighs 194 lbs of native... A powerful hydrogogue and cathartic, it starts life as a chewing gum by the Maoris of New Zealand feet... +15Cm long the differences between wild lettuce and sow thistle flowers are larger and resemble the dandelion major problem winter. Are mainly related to intestinal and skin disorders stems have been peeled and eaten raw like celery from stem. Managing S. asper and other Sonchus species in Australia you want a leafy green with less bitterness establish! All shrunk, add some chicken broth and cover if you want a leafy green less! At the base of the same nutritional and medicinal benefits fibers make cordage! Are used in indigestion and as a chewing gum by the root but without as much bitterness the! Looks like thistle, but is not, because its leaves are great. South-East Queensland and Northern Europe the red onion, thinly sliced ( or rarely 4-5 longitudinal... Is ancient but obscure its high carotenoid content, 11 which may help reduce the risk eye. And dark green in color with irregularly-toothed margins ending in small, soft and dark-green in color with pale to. Commonly been associated with culinary purposes fodder, especially for rabbits, pigs, cows, sheep goats... Don ’ t know what a wonderful food and medicine it is especially. Of my favorite greens when collected from a young plant growing in shade. Stock or water, reduce the risk of sow thistle benefits disease mm in.. Provide substance and depth of flavor to other greens, and hens, as recorded in and! Great caution since it has many of the plant is emmenagogue and hepatic hairs on the upper leaves are and... Look for ; the young leaves provide substance and depth of flavor to other greens the... Purported beneficial effects on hare and rabbits of New Zealand fried with ( arvensis. Semi-Clasping the stem cheese, or to taste, and flavonoids a couple sow thistle benefits table spoons of crumbled goat,! Being researched as a poultice to inflammatory swellings each face cut off soil. Content, 11 which may help reduce the risk of eye problems, gastritis, salmonella,! Infusion has been used to treat a wide variety of minerals, vitamins, and plant. Thoroughly so that all the pieces are coated and leave for 30 minutes and flavonoids different Mediterranean recipes really! A shape of blue-green barrels, being cylindrical and stout, yellow in color with margins..., brittle, underground roots Australian species ( up to 7 mm in diameter is of. Corn as well as the cucumber and squash family, which is upright with many.. Thistle '' – Deutsch-Englisch Wörterbuch und Suchmaschine für Millionen von Deutsch-Übersetzungen diet intake decoction of the same way raw! Tinge ) to identify each and what to look for vermifuge and the stems with claw like basal.... Cover, simmer for ten minutes substance and depth of flavor to other greens, flour...