Prickly Sow Thistle (Sonchus asper)

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

Sonchus asper is a ANNUAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, hoverflies. 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, Shoots

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Spring

Flavor & Culinary Uses

mild agreeable flavour. — Tender young leaves and stem tops - raw or cooked.; They can be added to salads or used like spinach.; The young leaves have a mild agreeable flavour.; The stems should be bruised and the bitter-tasting milky juice washed out before eating or cooking them.

Habitat & North American Range

Cultivated soil and waste places. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)