Onopordon acanthium Cotton thistle (Compositae)

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Onopordon acanthium
Cotton thistle
(1 Page of 5)

The Onopordon acanthium plant species is found in Britain. It is a member of the Compositae family. Common gardeners may know the plant as Cotton thistle.

Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

Latin Name:  Onopordon acanthium
Common Name:  Cotton thistle
Family:  Compositae
Author:  L.

Known Hazards:  None known

Mature Height:  1.5   Mature Width:  1

Habitat:  Waste places and arable land, especially on chalky and sandy soils, avoiding shade[4, 9]. Also found on slightly acid soils[200].

Edible Uses: Flower buds - cooked. A globe artichoke substitute[2, 4, 9, 115, 183], though they are much smaller and very fiddly to use[K]. Stems - cooked. Used as a vegetable, they are a cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) substitute[2, 4]. The stems are cooked in water like asparagus or rhubarb[12]. They are best if the rind is removed[4, 115, 183]. Leaves and young plants - cooked[9, 105]. They are harvested before the flowers develop and the prickles must be removed prior to cooking[9]. The petals are an adulterant for saffron[46, 61, 105, 183], used as a yellow food colouring and flavouring. A good quality edible oil is obtained from the seed[2, 4, 183]. The seed contains about 25% oil[4].

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Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

The information above has been supplied solely via the hard work and dedication of the team at 'Plants for a Future'.
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