Virginia thistle (Cirsium virginianum)

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

Cirsium virginianum is a BIENNIAL growing to 1.2 m (4ft). 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. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: 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 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

Wet pineland, sphagnum or peaty bogs, swales and clearings on coastal plain. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)