Scottish Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) and Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) are not the same plant. Scottish thistle leaves are edible in salad, after spines are taken off (or it could be used as a "pot herb", see thread in Herb forum), and the roots taste similar to a Jarusalem artichoke, but I am unaware of medicinal value. On the otherhand, Milk Thistle is a wonderful medicine for the liver. Lynn

Good morning all. Lucy, I love the thistle and especially that color! Could I have a few seeds once the bloom starts fading? I would love to try growing some for next season. I'm glad your cardoon is doing well. Mine in the half whiskey barrel is already about 5' tall and has several buds! I just love their leave structure and bloom. Karyn, glad your artichoke survived winter, and the cardoon seeds have sprouted. I have never tried growing artichokes, but saw lots of plants with them last Sunday at the fair I went to. There is a community garden there and lots of plots had anywhere from one to several artichoke plants bearing.

deanna, You have me intrigued so I went searching through my library and the internet and what I discovered was the perennial Echinops was like the overlooked/invisible middle child of the perennial world. However Echinops can be annuals, biennials, or perennials so I am thinking the Echinops you saw in someone�s garden was likely an annual or biennial. I will continue to poke around and see what I come up with because like you I would LOVE some big blue balls in my garden (Hey get your mind out of the gutter)

LOL, I had a grove of running bamboo in the back, my neighbor and I agreed to get rid of it. Well, in the same area a grove of Scottish Thistle emerged from nowhere! If bamboo is the plant from he//, Scotland must be worse!! It is 6 plus feet tall and VICIOUSLY barbed with thorns (PENETRATED MY GARDENING GLOVES!). Oh, the bamboo is coming back now too, but this time I might be rooting for the BAMBOO!!!