Scotch Thistle


I saw this thistle,  onopodium acanthium, growing in all its magnificence at Pepiniere Lac du Joncs today.

 I've a pot full of seedlings of this plant tucked away in a corner of my terrace, grown from seed sowed back in March. For months it has just sat there, ignored, until today that is, when, with some inspiration I've decided to plant out just two in the garden to the front of La Grande Maison.

Hopefully next year, it'll ascend with all it's architectural spikyness like the one above!


Comments

  1. The Field of Gold5 July 2012 at 23:08

    I think we would regard that as a 'noxious' weed and get rid of it. Probably it is one of the ones that regulations require farmers to control. Kerry

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  2. Rob (ourfrenchgarden)5 July 2012 at 23:21

    Kerry depends where you are. Someones noxious weed is someone elses wildflower. I know that the echium, 'viper's bugloss' is described as 'invasive' in parts of the States - self sows freely others might say.

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  3. Gary6 July 2012 at 17:46

    Hey, what do you know, this wonderful thistle features in my latest post as well! They are magnificent aren't they?

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    1. Rob (ourfrenchgarden)6 July 2012 at 22:10

      I rarely see them in the wild-almost always purposely sown. The ones in your post are superb.

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  4. Anna6 July 2012 at 22:16

    A silver leaved beauty Rob - glad that seeing it has inspired you to plant those seedlings. Look forward to seeing photos of a similar specimen next year.

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  5. Rob (ourfrenchgarden)6 July 2012 at 22:44

    Thanks Anna, I reckon I'll need to stake them if they get really big. All it takes is for one Summer squall and they could come crashing down.

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  6. F Cameron7 July 2012 at 00:55

    Can't grow it here...well, not supposed to grow it because it is on the invasive list here. Nonetheless, I love how they look and do enjoy seeing them in the wild here.

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    1. Rob (ourfrenchgarden)7 July 2012 at 08:15

      This is my 'year' of the thistle it seems - I'm growing echinops, sea hollies and cardoon/artichoke.

      The Scot's thistle is depicted on the back of the British 5 pence coin; now there's a useful bit of information!

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  7. Keir7 July 2012 at 21:59

    I love the thistle in all its forms. I never really appreciated the beauty until I moved from the States to Scotland and I'm now enjoying it in the garden here in France. For me it was always part of the "heritage", just a bit of thorny stuff on family crests. I still need to get after the Italian side of the family heritage and put in a few artichokes.

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  8. Mary Pellerito10 July 2012 at 14:45

    Thistles grow like weeds here. I've been scratched, jabbed, and poked by thistles that they have become a not-so-favorite plant. The birds and butterflies like them so I do not dig up all of the thistles in the garden. I hope you get some visitors to your plants.

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  9. Denise Covey 12 July 2012 at 05:53

    As Mary above, scotch thistles are weeds in Australia and have been pretty much eradicated. In a warm climate they just go crazy, and they have a nasty sting. Very pretty in a more temperate climate I'm sure.

    Lovely blog. I followed you.

    I have a Paris blog too. I've put you on my blogroll there -

    http://pichetsinparis.blogspot.com

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