Seasonal Wild Flowers

Smooth Sow-thistle

Sonchus oleraceus

Asteraceae

March to November and all year round in mild winters.

It is found throughout the country.

See the BSBI distribution map for Smooth Sow-thistle

It is found on disturbed ground in grassland, brownfield

sites and waste tips, around ploughed fields, and

alongside roads, foot paths and coastal earth dykes.

It is a garden and agricultural weed.

Smooth Sow-thistle is a very variable, annual herb

that can grow up to 2m.

Flowers are pale yellow (2-2.5cm across) in flower heads.

Leaves are variably prickly and have a greyish tinge

(leaf 2).

They have pointed auricles at the site of attachment to

the stems.

It is similar to Prickly Sow-thistle, which also appearing

in March in similar habitats, but it is generally more

common, greyer and with different auricles.

Both plants are variably prickly, ranging from few

prickles to prickly all over.

Usually, Prickly Sow-thistle has most prickles.

Flowerhead

Seed clock

Leaf 1

Leaf 2

Pointed leaf auricles