Cirsium arvense, (Latin name) generally known as Creeping thistle.
Family: Asteraceae.
Height: Up to 1.5m
Flowers between June and October
It is a native species throughout Europe, Western Asia and into North Africa.
The Creeping thistle is the most common species of thistle in the UK. It can be found along roadsides,
Pathway edges, woodland edges, field edges, rough grasslands, found also on disturbed and cultivated
ground.
The plants root system is where its common name derives from, the roots spread quickly and soon forms
large colonies across an area of ground.
As with most thistles, this plant can become invasive on agricultural land and in urban gardens, so is
regarded as a weed.
This plant is a valuable food source, not to just insects for the pollen and nectar (it was discovered to be
One of the top producers of nectar sugar) but also to many wild birds, for the seeds that follow the flowers.
Thistles are edible and have been used as human food. The young shoots stripped of the prickles and added
To salads, the hearts of the flower heads were prepared like artichokes.