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Cirsium arvense - (L.)Scop.

Common Name Creeping Thistle, Canada thistle
Family Asteraceae or Compositae
USDA hardiness 4-7
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Arable land, roadsides etc[9, 13], a common weed of cultivated land[17].
Range Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa and Asia.
Edibility Rating    (2 of 5)
Other Uses    (2 of 5)
Weed Potential Yes
Medicinal Rating    (2 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Full sun
Cirsium arvense Creeping Thistle, Canada thistle


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Cirsium arvense Creeping Thistle, Canada thistle

 

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Summary

Bloom Color: Pink, Purple. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Late summer, Mid summer. Form: Irregular or sprawling.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Cirsium arvense is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.9 m (3ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. 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 soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Carduus arvensis. Serratula arvensis.

Habitats

 Meadow; Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves  Oil  Root  Stem
Edible Uses: Curdling agent  Oil

Root of first year plants - raw or cooked[183]. Nutritious but rather bland, they are best used in a mixture with other vegetables[9]. 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[K]. Stems - they are peeled and cooked like asparagus or rhubarb[9, 12, 177, 183]. Leaves - raw or cooked[177, 183]. A fairly bland flavour, but the prickles need to be removed before the leaves can be eaten - not only is this rather fiddly but very little edible leaf remains[K]. The leaves are also used to coagulate plant milks etc[46, 61, 183].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Antiphlogistic  Astringent  Diuretic  Emetic  Emmenagogue  Hepatic  Tonic

The root is tonic, diuretic, astringent, antiphlogistic and hepatic[207]. It has been chewed as a remedy for toothache[4]. A decoction of the roots has been used to treat worms in children[257]. A paste of the roots, combined with an equal quantity of the root paste of Amaranthus spinosus, is used in the treatment of indigestion[272]. The plant contains a volatile alkaloid and a glycoside called cnicin, which has emetic and emmenagogue properties[240]. The leaves are antiphlogistic[207]. They cause inflammation and have irritating properties[207[.

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Oil  Tinder

The seed fluff is used as a tinder[106]. The seed of all species of thistles yields a good oil by expression[4]. The seed of this species contains about 22% oil[240]. Dynamic accumulator.

Special Uses

Dynamic accumulator  Food Forest

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

The creeping thistle is a pernicious garden weed, spreading freely from its aggressive root system[17, K], It can quickly form dense clumps of growth and really does not need to be introduced into the garden. Succeeds in any ordinary garden soil in a sunny position[200]. Plants are often dioecious[17]. A polymorphic species[17]. Special Features:North American native, Invasive, Attracts butterflies. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is fleshy. Thick or swollen - fibrous or tap root [2-1].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Propagation

Seed - sow early spring or autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 8 weeks at 20°c. A pernicious weed, not many people would want to invite this plant into their garden.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Creeping thistle Field thistle, Californian thistle, Canadian thistle, lettuce from hell thistle, corn thistle, cursed thistle, field thistle, green thistle, hard thistle, perennial thistle, prickly thistle, small-flowered thistle, way thistl, Cardo cundidor, Choussio, Ciji, Da khawarak azghai, Honghuamiao,Koygocerten, Koygocuren, Ohakas, Ohtja, Perticone, Stioppone, Stramontano.

Native Plant Search

Search over 900 plants ideal for food forests and permaculture gardens. Filter to search native plants to your area. The plants selected are the plants in our book 'Plants For Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens, as well as plants chosen for our forthcoming related books for Tropical/Hot Wet Climates and Mediterranean/Hot Dry Climates. Native Plant Search

Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Afghanistan, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Britain, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Estonia, Europe*, India, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mediterranean, Mongolia, Nepal, North America, Pakistan, Russia, South America, Tasmania, Tibet, Turkey, USA.

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Widely considered a weed even where it is native. It is cited as a noxious weed in several countries; for example Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United States.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed.

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Cirsium acaulonStemless ThistlePerennial0.3 4-8  LMHNM012
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Cirsium brevistylumIndian Thistle, Clustered thistlePerennial1.8 0-0  LMHSNM302
Cirsium buergeri Perennial1.8 -  LMHNM102
Cirsium chinense Perennial0.8 -  LMHNM102
Cirsium coreanum Perennial0.0 -  LMHSNM102
Cirsium dipsacolepis Perennial1.0 -  LMHNM102
Cirsium eatoniEaton's ThistlePerennial0.5 -  LMHNDM112
Cirsium eduleEdible ThistlePerennial2.0 6-9  LMHNM302
Cirsium eriophorumWooly ThistleBiennial1.5 5-9  LMHNM202
Cirsium foliosumElk thistlePerennial0.6 5-9  LMHNMWe302
Cirsium hookerianumWhite ThistlePerennial1.5 -  LMHNM202
Cirsium japonicumNo-Azami, Japanese thistleBiennial/Perennial0.9 5-9  LMHNM222
Cirsium kamtschaticumKamchatka thistlePerennial1.8 0-0  LMHNM102
Cirsium lepskyle Perennial0.0 -  LMHNM102
Cirsium lineare Perennial1.0 -  LMHNM102
Cirsium maackii Perennial1.0 -  LMHNM102
Cirsium maritimum Perennial0.4 -  LMHNM102
Cirsium nipponicum Perennial1.5 -  LMHNM112
Cirsium occidentaleCobwebby Thistle, Snowy thistle, Compact cobwebby thistlePerennial1.0 8-11  LMHNDM202
Cirsium ochrocentrumYellow Spined ThistlePerennial1.5 0-0  LMHNDM222
Cirsium oleraceumCabbage ThistlePerennial1.2 -  LMHSNMWe202
Cirsium oligophyllum Perennial1.0 -  LMHNM202
Cirsium pallidumPale ThistlePerennial0.0 -  LMHNM112
Cirsium palustreMarsh ThistleBiennial1.5 4-8  LMHSNMWe202
Cirsium pectinellum Perennial1.5 -  LMHNM102
Cirsium pendulum Biennial1.8 -  LMHNM102
Cirsium purpuratum Perennial1.0 -  LMHNM102
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Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Author

(L.)Scop.

Botanical References

17

Links / References

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Readers comment

Pam Sherman   Tue Apr 28 2009

Re: eating the leaves of Cirsium arvense and C. vulgare: I pick these in quantity when the plant is under 1 foot/.3 meters high, then rinse them to remove dirt and bugs. I find that rinsing (at least under a stream of water) tends to disable the prickers to a noticeable extent. I cut the plant's stem with scissors via gloved hands, but rinse the leaves with bare hands. Then I cook them in water or stock (the latter is tastier) and the prickers are fully disabled. I then puree the leaves with a good quantity of milk (or milk substitute), season to taste with onion, garlic, salt, etc. and have a cream soup. I also put it in quiche or savory pancakes. I tell my friends I'm serving them something special, but don't say what until after they have tasted it and have exclaimed how good it is. You do NOT have to remove the prickers by hand from the raw plant, so it is not a fiddly process. It's a great green vegetable source. I hope you can include this on your American website as well, so people can stop being afraid of eating the leaves of this plant when it is young. Thank you for an excellent website. I live in CO, USA

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Subject : Cirsium arvense  
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