Welted Thistle is a
native
biennial plant of the UK, typically found growing in woodland margins, grassland and waste ground, to a mature height of up to 200cm.
The Welted Thistle is so called because it has characteristic green spiny ridges extending along its stems. It has flowerheads that are similar to the Spear Thistle (spherical and spiky, topped with a wide plume of purple ray petals) but the leaves are very dissimilar, having more complex lobing and much less pronounced spikes.
Botanic classification and naming: Welted Thistle is a member of the Daisy (Asteraceae) family. The genus name
'Carduus' identifies the plant as a Plumeless Thistle and its species name 'crispus' means 'crisp plant'.
Benefits: The seeds of the Welted Thistle provide a food source for birds.
Benefits to wildlife are also indicated with orange icons in the plant profile bar at the top.
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