Pectinellum Thistle (Cirsium pectinellum)

Family: Asteraceae or Compositae | Edibility: Edible (1/5)

Cirsium pectinellum is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.5 m (5ft). It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. 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. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) 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. — The root is slender with scarcely developed rhizomes.; It 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.; Young plant - cooked.

Habitat & North American Range

In wet sunny grasslands and along streams of the basal zones or sometimes in xeric serpentine slopes, from near sea level to elevations of 300 metres. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)