is bull thistle and milk thistle the same

While all thistles share similarities, only milk thistle has green and white marbled leaves. The flower head of bull thistle

and milk thistle have spiny bracts, but those found on bull thistle are larger and more pointed. Milk Thistle is a shrub or small tree that can grow up to 10 feet tall.

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What is the difference between Italian thistle and milk thistle?

Milk thistle ( Silybum marianum) can look a lot like Italian thistle, especially as a seedling. But its leaves are not as deeply lobed, the milky stripes are much more pronounced, and the plant grows much bigger and more robust. The flowers are larger and more globe-shaped.

Is milkweed the same as milk thistle?

The photo above shows a milkweed plant in all its vibrant glory. Milkweed and milk thistle are not the same plant. Milkweed is a bright plant that produces large and colorful flowers that attract butterflies in great abundance.

How many seeds does a milk thistle have?

The purple cones that grow atop the tall and thin “branches” of this bush-style plant die off, leaving white fluffy where the thin purple flower petals had grown. Each cone shaped flower on the milk thistle is capable of producing approximately 200 seeds.

What does bull thistle look like?

Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) has lobed leaves with sword-shaped sections, and scary spines at the tips. This thistle doesn't have the milky striping, and its leaves are hairier than Italian or milk thistle. It has spiny-winged stems, and its flowers are classic onion-shaped thistle flowers. This plant often grows as a biennial.

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What is bull thistle good for?

How Has the Bull Thistle Been Beneficial? The bull thistle plant was used by early humans as a warm medicinal tea. The roots were also used as an aid to digestion, and to treat stomach cramps. Steam from the warm tea was used to treat muscle stiffness and rheumatism.

Are bull thistle poisonous?

Bull thistle is a very dangerous plant. The sharp spines that cover virtually every surface of the stem, leaves and flower head can easily puncture and irritate skin....HOMEGLOSSARYACKNOWLEDGMENTSSEARCH BY NAMESEARCH BY COLORSEARCH BY ARRANGEMENT

Are there different types of milk thistle?

Silybum marianum is a species of thistle. It has various common names including milk thistle, blessed milkthistle, Marian thistle, Mary thistle, Saint Mary's thistle, Mediterranean milk thistle, variegated thistle and Scotch thistle (though not to be confused with Onopordum acanthium or Cirsium vulgare).

How can you tell a bull thistle?

Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) is a biennial that true to its name, has notable spines. This plant is much different than Canada thistle. The foliage of bull thistle has stiff hairs on top and a woolly appearance on the bottom; while Canada thistle is smooth on top and either smooth or hairy on the underside.

What's the difference between bull thistle and Canadian thistle?

If the thistle has rhizomes—or roots that extend out from one plant to grow another plant nearby—then it is likely a Canada thistle. If it does not have rhizomes but has a taproot and has spiny wings up the length of its stem that is needle-shaped, then it is a bull thistle.

What does a milk thistle look like?

Milk thistle is a large and highly distinctive thistle, with white marbling on the shiny green leaves. Flowerheads are bright magenta or purple, with thick, fleshy, spine-tipped bracts protruding around the base off the flowerhead. Leaves, stems and flowers are all armed with stiff, sharp spines.

What are other names for milk thistle?

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) Gaertn., belonging to the family Asteraceae/Compositae. The plant is otherwise known as milk thistle, since the leaves of the plant have “milky veins,” and sometimes as Cardus marianus, Marian thistle, and Mary thistle.

What is another name for milk thistle?

Milk Thistle is available under the following different brand and other names: carduus marianum, holy thistle, lady's thistle, legalon, Marian thistle, Mary thistle, silibinin, silybin, silybum marianum, silymarin, and St Mary thistle.

Who should not take milk thistle?

Milk thistle should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women. People with a history of hormone-related cancers, including breast, uterine, and prostate cancer, should not take milk thistle. DO NOT take milk thistle if you are allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, chamomile, yarrow, or daisies.

Can I eat bull thistle?

Edible Parts Bull thistle root can be eaten and is best used when mixed with other vegetables. Young flower stems can be cooked and young leaves can be eaten in a salad or tossed into a sauté. The taste is somewhat bland but the prickles MUST BE removed from the leaves before the leaves can be eaten!

Where is bull thistle found?

Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle) is a perennial or biennial forb (family Asteraceae) Bull thistle is widespread in California and is most common in coastal grasslands, along edges of fresh and brackish marshes, and in meadows and mesic forest openings in the mountains below 7,000 feet (2,120 m).

How do I get rid of bull thistles in my lawn?

Glyphosate: Herbicides containing glyphosate can effectively control bull thistle. Glyphosate will also kill grasses that compete with bull thistle, so treatment with glyphosate should be combined with effective re-vegetation of the site to prevent seedlings from re- infesting the area.

How tall does a milk thistle grow?

Milk thistle is partial to rocky soil and can grow up to 4 feet tall. Identify milk thistle by leaves with white veins and hairy seeds on its pink flowers. Milk thistle seeds are medicinal and often used in tea to help with liver and kidney ailments. Advertisement.

How often do bull thistles bloom?

Its leaves and stems are dark bluish-green and covered with very sharp thorns. Bull thistles are biennial and only bloom every two years. Pull thistles before they bloom so their seeds don't spread in the wind.

Why are the flowers on the Russian thistle green?

Because the flowers on Russian thistle are green, they're not obvious from afar . Up close, it's easy to distinguish leaves and flowers. As Russian thistle propagates and bears seeds, the bush dries and breaks loose of the desert soil.

How tall do Canadian thistles get?

Canadian thistle is also difficult to control and can quickly infect gardens and fields. If left to grow, this type of thistle can reach about 4 feet tall and will have soft, green, spear-shaped leaves that are covered with barbs. Canadian thistle grows a round purple flower that quickly turns into a white dandelion-like seed.

Is Scotch thistle a weed?

Scotch thistle was once an ornamental plant, rich with symbolism, but is now considered an invasive weed.

What is the shape of bull thistle?

Seedling: Cotyledons of the bull thistle are oval-shaped, being broadest at the apex. The early leaves of its young plant are also oval with a spine-like fringe. The second true leaf is dark green and covered densely with white hairs on the upper surface. The next emerging leaves become longer and have similar spine-like lobes.

How tall do bull thistle plants get?

The leaves extending to the stem give the stem a winged appearance. Stems are usually 6/10-9/10 m (2-3 ft) tall, but can get more than 3/2 m (5 ft) tall. Bull thistle mature plant. Photo by Steve Dewey of Utah State University, via Bugwood.org. Winged appearance of bull thistle stem.

What is thistle head weed?

The Thistle Head Weevil, Rhinocyllus conicus is a biological control agent effective for managing the growth of this weed. R. conicus is established in the western United States and targets various thistle species.

Can bull thistle be grazed?

Mowing may only be an effective form of management if done so immediately before flowering or when plants have just begin to flower, and done fo repeatedly throughout the growing season. Having the areas involving Bull Thistle be grazed by sheep, goats, and/or horses may also be effective, if possible.

What are thistles called?

Thistles in the Cirsium genus differ from thistles in other genera in that Cirsium thistles have branched, feathery hairs on their seeds, an adaptation that makes the seed easily dispersed by wind. Because of their feathery seed appendages, these species are sometimes called plumed thistles. Some Cirsium species, such as bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) and Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), are invasive and difficult to control in a wide range of habitats; bull thistle is biennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 2 to 10, and Canada thistle is perennial in zones 2 to 8.

How tall does Milk Thistle grow?

Milk thistle is a robust plant; it is biennial in USDA zones 7 and above, can survive frosts, and grows fast, quickly reaching 4 feet in height and 3 feet or more in spread. It does particularly well in rocky soils near coastlines, although it isn't very tolerant of exposure to sea spray.

How tall is Scotch thistle?

Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium) is slow-growing but large; it reaches 5 feet in height and is biennial in USDA zones 6 and above. Taurian thistle (Onopordum tauricum) has similar growth habits, but is even more massive; its brilliant green, spiny stems can reach 8 feet in height.

Where are thistles native to?

Thistles in the Onopordum genus are native to Europe and the Mediterranean region, and they are either biennial or short-lived perennials. Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium) is slow-growing but large; it reaches 5 feet in height and is biennial in USDA zones 6 and above. Taurian thistle (Onopordum tauricum) has similar growth habits, but is even more massive; its brilliant green, spiny stems can reach 8 feet in height. Because of their large size, formidable spines and tendency to grow in dense thickets, Onopordum thistles can be a significant problem in the landscape.

Do thistles have purple flowers?

Thistles are contradictory plants. They can be majestic and elegant, and their showy purple or pink flower heads are unquestionably attractive. On the other hand, their prickly leaves and stems can make for unpleasant encounters, and many thistle species, especially those not native to North America, grow vigorously and spread readily ...

Is Canada thistle invasive?

Some Cirsium species, such as bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) and Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), are invasive and difficult to control in a wide range of habitats; bull thistle is biennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 2 to 10, and Canada thistle is perennial in zones 2 to 8.

Do Carduus thistles have feathery seeds?

Carduus Genus. Carduus thistles don't have the feathery seed plumes of Cirsium thistles, but their seeds are covered with bristly hairs. Many Carduus species are annual or biennial rather than perennial; musk thistle (Carduus nutans), for example, is a biennial in USDA hardiness zones 7 and above, while Italian thistle (Carduus pycnocephalus) ...

How many seeds does a milk thistle plant have?

An entire plant can contain (and release) around 6,350 seeds. The flowers typically range in size from about 1 1/2 inches to nearly 6 inches long. In North America, the flowers generally bloom from June to August, but in the southern hemisphere milk thistle flowers tend to bloom from December through February.

Where is milk thistle native to?

Even though milk thistle is indigenious to Asia, Europe, and North Africa, it has now been naturalized in the United States, Australia, and South America. naturalized in North and South America and Australia. While milk thistle grows abundantly in the wild nearly throughout the United States, it is possible to purchase seeds to cultivate this plant ...

What is the active ingredient in milk thistle?

Silymarin is the active ingredient in milk thistle. This component of the plant is comprised of a 65% to 80% grouping of flavonolignans: iso silychristin, taxifolin, silychristin, silybin A, silybin B, isosilybin A, isosilybin B, and silydianin.

How tall does a milk thistle grow?

Milk thistle is a sturdy annual or biennial plant. It typically grows up to at least 3 feet tall. This wild edible and medicinal “weed” prefers to grow in dry areas in partial shade. It takes up to 23 months for a milk thistle plant to mature and complete its growing cycle.

What is milk thistle used for?

Milk thistle is one of the easiest to identify fall foraging offerings. The plant is used in natural medicinal remedies, to brew as a tea, and as a recipe ingredient. Like stinging nettles, you MUST wear gloves when harvesting any part of this plant – or suffer the consequences of having tiny and clear little thorns embedded into your fingers.

What did Mary do to the milk thistle?

The virgin Mary was sheltering herself from the elements and possible evil doers beneath the prickly leaves of the milk thistle plant while nursing the baby Jesus, according to some ancient stories. A drop of Mary’s milk dropped onto one of the leaves, and caused the milky veins that are present in the plant to form.

Where is the fruit of milk thistle?

The fruit portion of milk thistle is found in the pappus that falls away when the plant dries, and is not used to make an extract. It is only the gray or black mottled and shiny portion of the fruit that are regularly referred to as seeds that are used to make milk thistle extract. Milk thistle flower that has died out.

Why do people drink blessed thistle tea?

Many people take blessed thistle in the form of a tea in order to improve appetite, reduce diarrhea, and eliminate indigestion. It is also commonly used to promote breast milk secretion for newly lactating mothers. However, there is limited research that supports that it actually stimulates lactation.

Does milk thistle help with infertility?

Diabetic neuropathy. Chronic liver diseases. Some research has also linked milk thistle to help with infertility issues, cancer, nasal allergies, and even help improve the flow of breast milk in nursing mothers. Milk thistle is believed to exert a special chemical that helps protect the liver preventing damage.

Does Milk Thistle help with gallbladder?

Milk thistle is believed to help with liver , kidney, and gallbladder issues by reducing inflammation. It has also been linked to improving breast milk flow in new mothers. Meanwhile, blessed thistle targets gastric issues such as diarrhea, indigestion, and decreased appetite.