• Eventual Height: 3m
  • Eventual Spread: 1m
Scottish thistle

Onopordum acanthium

Scottish thistle

size: 2 litre pot   available to order from spring 2012    

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  • Position: full sun
  • Soil: fertile, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil
  • Rate of growth: average
  • Flowering period: July to August
  • Hardiness: hardy biennial


    Large pale-purple or occasionally white, thistle-like flowerheads appear in July and August above spiny-toothed, grey-green leaves. This biennial, native Scotch thistle makes an architectural statement in a sunny gravel or wildlife garden. The ripening seedheads act as a magnet for goldfinches and the plant self-seeds freely.

  • Garden care: Use beer traps or environmentally- friendly slug pellets to protect the tender young foliage against damage from slugs or snails.

  • Eventual Height: 3m
  • Eventual Spread: 1m
Onopordum acanthium - Scottish thistle Architectural plant for a sunny border

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