Common Sow-Thistle (Sonchus oleraceus)
Image ID: ahgh52L
Permalink:
myWildflowers.com/detail.asp?photo=ahgh52L
·leaf
Other common names: Milk Thistle
Introduced
Family:
Asteraceae (Sunflower)
Height: 1 to 8 ft.
Blooms: June to
October
Leaf Type:
toothed
Bloom Size: 0.75 in. (typical)
Flower Description:
Flat or rounded clusters,
Parts indistinct
Location: Allegheny Highlands Trail
Date: 8/10/2003
More photos of this flower
Common Sow-Thistle may be
easily confused with:
- Spiny-Leaved Sow-Thistle
Common sow-thistle has a deeply lobed leaf, while spiny sow-thistle has a leaf that is just slightly toothed.
- Yellow Hawkweed
The sow-thistle has a leaf that is stiff and deeply lobed, while yellow hawkweed has a softer leaf with a smooth edge.
We started out as wildflowers from the bicycle trails of western Pennsylvania, but we've
grown!
Meyer, Joseph E. (1918). The Herbalist and Herb Doctor. Hammond, Ind.: Indiana Herb Gardens. 400 pp.