Description
The alpine thistle is a familiar plant to many European mountain hikers. Unmistakable, with spiny, compound leaves in a large rosette (20+ cm at maturity) and stemless silvery-white flowers in late summer/fall.
Besides being a ‘staple’ plant of sub-alpine meadows, it has had some medicinal and edible usage (the young flower heads). Nowadays it is employed more for the ornamental qualities of the dried flower heads although it is a great, ‘weird’ looking plant to have in front of a flower border or at an edge of a large rockery; usually behaving as a biennial. Pollinators love it.
Germination: warm, easy germinator, you don’t need many seeds; don’t sow too tight. Transplant at the permanent place in late spring/summer.
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