Cabbage Thistle (Cirsium oleraceum)

Family: Asteraceae or Compositae | Edibility: Edible (2/5)

Cirsium oleraceum is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.2 m (4ft). It is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies), beetles. The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Leaves, Roots/Tubers

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

rich in inulin, a starch that cannot be digested by humans. — Young leaves - cooked and used as a vegetable.; Harvested before the plant flowers, it was formerly used as a table vegetable.; The root 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

Marshes, fens, streamsides and wet woods in Britain, avoiding acid soils. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)