Silybum marianum – Mary’s Thistle – Blessed Thistle – Holy Thistle – Milk Thistle –

Description

Silybum – Milk Thistle – There are 2 erect, rosette forming, thistle like annuals or biennials, in the daisy family, in this genus. They are found naturally occurring from the mountains of Eastern Africa and from stony slopes, steppes and thickets in Western Africa, the Mediterranean, and Southwestern Europe to Central Asia. They produce alternate, broad, shallowly to deeply lobed, egg shaped inversely lance shaped, intensely spiny, glossy light to dark green leaves, and bear spherical, single, purple pink flowers, enclosed in spiny bracts.   They are grown for their foliage and flowers, they are suitable for growing in a mixed or herbaceous border or gravel garden. Grow in poor to moderately fertile, well drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil in full sun. Protect from excessive winter moisture. Prone to caterpillars, slugs and snails. S. marianum – Mary’s Thistle – Blessed   Thistle – Holy Thistle – This rosette forming biennial from Southwestern Europe to Afghanistan grows 4-5′ feet tall and 2-3′ feet wide. It produces flat basal rosettes of deeply lobed, obovate, viciously spiny, heavily white veined and marbled, glossy, dark green leaves, to 20″ long. In the 2^nd year after sowing, bears thistle like, slightly scented, red to purple flowers, to 22″ across from summer to autumn. Zones 6-9