Common sowthistle.

De un vistazo

Nivel de cuidados

Fácil

Tipo de planta

Annual herb

Luz

Full sun to partial shade

Luz en interior

Sol directo

Riego

Cada 3 a 7 días

Tamaño adulto

3 to 4 feet

Ritmo de crecimiento

Rápido

Rusticidad

USDA 6 a 10

Floración

Spring to autumn

Cuidados

This plant is quite resilient and typically manages itself in most outdoor environments. Watch for aphids or powdery mildew if you are growing it in a container. It thrives best when it has plenty of space and consistent access to sunlight.

Riego

Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged for best growth.

Abonado

A balanced liquid fertilizer can be applied occasionally if the soil is poor.

Poda

Deadhead spent flowers to prevent unwanted seed spread throughout your garden.

Trasplante

Since it is an annual, you will generally be replanting it from seed each season.

Suelo

Well-draining, fertile soil

pH del suelo

6.0 to 7.5

Temperatura

-5 a 35°C

Humedad

30 a 80%

Tolerancia a la sequía

Moderada

Longevidad

Annual, typically 6 to 9 months.

Resistencia a ciervos y conejos

Moderada

Seguridad

Personas

It is generally considered non toxic to humans.

Niños

There are no specific safety concerns for children, though the milky sap can be messy.

Alérgenos por contacto

The milky sap can cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals.

Alérgenos en el aire

Pollen may cause mild allergic reactions in susceptible people.

Comestibilidad

While young leaves are edible, older leaves become bitter and may contain high levels of nitrates if grown in nitrogen rich soil.

Cómo identificarla

• Yellow dandelion like flower heads
• Leaves with prickly, toothed margins
• Hollow, brittle stems with milky sap
• Basal rosette of lobed leaves

Altura

0,3 a 1m

Anchura

0,2 a 0,5m

Hojas

green, blue-green, deciduous

Flores

yellow, 1,5 a 2,5cm

Frutos

brown, Summer to autumn

Problemas frecuentes

• Aphids — Small insects that cluster on new growth and flower buds.
• Powdery mildew — A fungal infection causing white dusty patches on leaves.

Cómo cultivarla

Propagación

seed

Cuándo plantar

spring, autumn

Cuidados en invierno

It usually dies back after the first hard frost, so no special care is needed.

En maceta

It grows easily in pots, but is rarely cultivated intentionally due to its weedy nature.

Keep it away from your primary vegetable beds to prevent it from becoming a nuisance.

Buenas compañeras

• Lettuce — They share similar growing requirements.

Especies parecidas

• Diente de león — Both have yellow flowers and similar rosette growth habits.
• spiny sowthistle — It looks very similar but has sharper, pricklier leaf edges.

Ciencia

Familia

Asteraceae

Género

Sonchus

Orden

Asterales

Clase

Magnoliopsida

Distribución natural

Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia.

Conservación

It is a widespread weed and is not of conservation concern.

It thrives in disturbed habitats like roadsides and gardens where it quickly outcompetes other plants for light.

Valor para la fauna

nectar source, larval host plant

Polinizadores

abejas, mariposas, escarabajos

Usos

edible greens, poultry feed, medicinal tea

Taxonomía cotejada con GBIF.

Lo que más preguntan

Is Sonchus oleraceus a weed?

Yes, it is widely considered an agricultural and garden weed due to its rapid growth.

Can I eat it?

Yes, young leaves are often eaten raw in salads or cooked like spinach.

De dónde viene el nombre

The genus name Sonchus comes from the Greek word for hollow, referring to the stems, while oleraceus means vegetable or garden herb.

Bueno saberlo

• Commonly known as sow thistle because it was traditionally fed to nursing sows.
• The leaves are often compared to dandelion greens in flavor.
• It is a highly successful colonizer of disturbed soils worldwide.
• The plant contains a milky latex sap that flows when stems are broken.