Indian Thistle (Cirsium brevistylum)

Family: Asteraceae or Compositae | Edibility: Edible (3/5)

Cirsium brevistylum is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.8 m (6ft). The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Shoots, Roots/Tubers

Harvest Seasons: Spring, Early Summer, Late Summer, Fall, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

rich in inulin, a starch that cannot be digested by humans. — Root - peeled and eaten raw or cooked.; One of the more palatable thistle roots.; The thick, carrot-like taproot is likely to be rich in inulin, a starch that cannot be digested by humans.; This starch thus passes straight through the digestive system and, in some people, ferments to produce flatulence.

Habitat & North American Range

Brushy and wooded slopes, in mixed evergreen forests and in coastal scrub in California. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)