Common sowthistle.

En un coup d'œil

Niveau d'entretien

Facile

Type de plante

Annual herb

Lumière

Full sun to partial shade

Lumière en intérieur

Soleil direct

Arrosage

Tous les 3 à 7 jours

Taille adulte

3 to 4 feet

Croissance

Rapide

Rusticité

USDA 6 à 10

Floraison

Spring to autumn

Entretien

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.

Arrosage

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

Engrais

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

Taille

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

Rempotage

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

Sol

Well-draining, fertile soil

pH du sol

6.0 to 7.5

Température

-5 à 35°C

Humidité

30 à 80%

Résistance à la sécheresse

Moyenne

Durée de vie

Annual, typically 6 to 9 months.

Résistance aux chevreuils et lapins

Moyenne

Sécurité

Humains

It is generally considered non toxic to humans.

Enfants

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

Allergènes de contact

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

Allergènes aéroportés

Pollen may cause mild allergic reactions in susceptible people.

Comestibilité

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

Comment l'identifier

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

Hauteur

0,3 à 1m

Envergure

0,2 à 0,5m

Feuilles

green, blue-green, deciduous

Fleurs

yellow, 1,5 à 2,5cm

Fruits

brown, Summer to autumn

Problèmes courants

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

La cultiver

Multiplication

seed

Quand planter

spring, autumn

Hivernage

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

En pot

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.

Bonnes associations

• Lettuce — They share similar growing requirements.

Espèces similaires

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

Science

Famille

Asteraceae

Genre

Sonchus

Ordre

Asterales

Classe

Magnoliopsida

Région d'origine

Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia.

Préservation

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.

Intérêt pour la faune

nectar source, larval host plant

Pollinisateurs

abeilles, papillons, coléoptères

Utilisations

edible greens, poultry feed, medicinal tea

Taxonomie vérifiée avec le GBIF.

Ce qu'on demande souvent

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.

D'où vient le nom

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

Bon à savoir

• 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.