Pendulum Thistle (Cirsium pendulum)

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

Cirsium pendulum is a BIENNIAL growing to 1.8 m (6ft). It is in flower from June to September, and the seeds ripen from July 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 only slightly thickened.; 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.; Leaves and young plant - cooked.

Habitat & North American Range

Grassland in mountain valleys and mountain slopes, forests, forest margins, streamsides, near villages and in rock crevices at levations of 300 - 2300 metres. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)