# Milk Thistle (*Silybum marianum*) Milk Thistle is a spiky plant with beautiful purple flowers. It's known for its prickly leaves and white veins. Bees love to visit its flowers! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 12 - **Habitat:** Grasslands - **Also known as:** Blessed Thistle, Holy Thistle, Marian Thistle ![Milk Thistle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Milk_thistle.jpg&width=800) Photo: fir0002 flagstaffotos \[at\] gmail.com Canon 20D + Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8, GFDL 1.2 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Milk_thistle.jpg) ## Appearance The Milk Thistle has striking purple, globe-shaped flowers surrounded by sharp, spiny bracts. Its large, glossy green leaves are distinctively marbled with bright white veins, giving them a milky appearance. This spiky plant often grows quite tall. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Silybum ## Interesting facts - Ancient Greeks and Romans used Milk Thistle for its protective powers against various troubles! - Even though it's spiky, young Milk Thistle leaves and stems can be cooked and eaten like spinach! - One plant can produce thousands of seeds, ensuring new thistles sprout even after a tough year! - Some people believe its white leaf veins were inspired by milk from the Virgin Mary in an old legend! ## Special abilities - **Spiky Shield Armor:** Milk Thistle has sharp spines on its leaves and flower bracts that help it defend against hungry herbivores. - **Deep Root Drinker:** Milk Thistle can grow a very long taproot that helps it find water deep underground to survive dry spells. - **Wind-Powered Seeds:** Each seed has a feathery tuft that lets the wind carry it far away to new growing spots. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 60-200 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 4-12 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer, Fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Biennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Eats:** [European Goldfinch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-goldfinch) (*Carduelis carduelis*) — Feeds on its nutrient-rich seeds. - **Eats:** Thistle Aphid (*Uroleucon cirsii*) — Feeds on the sap from its stems and leaves. - **Parasitizes:** Thistle Rust (*Puccinia carduorum*) — A fungus that can infect Milk Thistle leaves. ## Traits - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Night Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/night-blooming): Night blooming plants open their flowers after sunset, often to attract nocturnal pollinators with their scent and appearance. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. ## Collections - [Flowers](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/flowers) - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Enjoy looking at Milk Thistle from a safe distance to avoid its prickly leaves. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Milk Thistle? Count the petals where you can, then compare the flower's center, its symmetry, how the blooms are grouped and the leaves below. Color varies between garden varieties and shifts with the light. Flower Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Milk Thistle? 60-200 cm ### How wide does Milk Thistle spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on Milk Thistle? 4-12 cm ### When does Milk Thistle bloom? Summer, Fall ### Is Milk Thistle edible? Yes ### Is Milk Thistle toxic? None ### What is Milk Thistle's lifecycle? Biennial ## Where to spot - [Arroyo Conejo Open Space](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arroyo-conejo-open-space) — California, US · Park - [Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/black-diamond-mines-regional-preserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Conejo Valley Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/conejo-valley-botanical-garden) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [Crystal Cove Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crystal-cove-historic-district) — California, US · Historic District - [Franks Tract State Recreation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/franks-tract-state-recreation-area) — California, US · State Park - [Zoo de la Palmyre](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoo-de-la-palmyre) — Nouvelle-Aquitaine, FR · Zoo [View all places to see Milk Thistle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/milk-thistle) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Milk Thistle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/milk-thistle)