I used a cheap immersion blender. The worst thing that happens is that it gets very very painful before the rest of the Thorne comes out. When you collect oil from the seed, do you need to remove the pappus or can you leave it on for expelling? Also, the yellow star thistle grows prolifically out here. Do you have a book with photos so one could forage without a computer as reference? The thistle, which is in the sunflower family, is often called an invasive weed even where it is native. 1. All thistles belong to the same family as sunflowers, which has no poisonous plants. Hi — we’re currently living (here in central Virginia) in the midst of a perennial old field of 20 acres or so. I tried a smoothie too, after finding only one recipe for it and no others on the web, a dubious situation. The leaves are edible but don’t even bother trying to cut off the spines. Roots and unopened flower bud bottoms are also edible. Canada thistle has small seeds with feathery, white tufts to help with wind dispersal, although research has found that most seeds land near the parent plant. Like many tasty wild plants, the thistle did not make its way into main stream food channel because of the spines and its two-year growth habit. Thanks! Because of its contribution to the persistence of the weed, Canada thistle's extensive root system must be the target of an effective control program. I live on the East coast of Australia in a sub- tropical zone and I Found wild Scottish thistle today on my walk, will collect tomorrow for “tea” and ” greens” many thanks, feel comfortable after reading all the postings and appreciate everyone’s contributions! Also do any of the other thistles have this same benefit? The extremely invasive Canada thistle is reportedly the tastiest. Fair warning that most thistles have a slightly bitter or sour flavor to them, though it isn't too strong for most people to enjoy as far as I know. Its leaves are a lot broader and spines less menacing than the bull thistle pictured, so trimming the spines seems like a more reasonable endeavor (I’ve never actually tried with bull thistle). Onopordum acanthium is edible. Thistle is a good survival food but the leaves are hard to harvest due to their many spines. Seeds remain viable in the soil for over 20 years. I am of Acadian descent and heritage. Thanks for sharing what you have learned along the way. Since I was a small child, my grandmother and mom and I would go each year in the 40 days of Lent to pick these. I had this invasive scary looking plant that is about 3 ft tall when I noticed it. If you end up reading this and want me to send you a picture of the thistles here or with the Blue Orchard Mason Bee on it then just tell me in an email and next time I get the chance Ill send you the picture if you asked for one. ... Understanding Canada Thistle | Dow AgroSciences Canada - Duration: 2:53. The root is likely to be rich in inulin, a starch that cannot be digested by humans. I put the entire rosette of a newly emerged thistle, thorns and all, into a nutribullet with some water and turned it on for a minute. A progeny more than sufficient to stock not only the surface of the whole world, but of all the planets of the solar system, so that no other plant or vegetable could possibly grow, allowing but the space of one square foot for each plant. Nutritious but rather bland, they are best used in a mixture with other vegetables. 🙂. I’m like scared to do that and like really the thorns are gone. Another species, called the Acanthum vulgare, produces above 100 heads, each containing from 3 to 400 seeds. The thistle is an annual, biennial, or perennial herb. You might want to visit Foraging Texas to get the exact name of the species. Canada thistle is a creeping perennial that reproduces from vegetative buds in its root system and from seed. Let these be sown, and their crop will amount to 576 millions. Carefully peel the stalk of the fibrous coat, which is most of the green you’ll see. If you cook them do the thorns soften; or should I trim the thorns off? Anyone ever eaten the leaves cooked like greens? And guess what? A tea can also be made from the leaves and the plant was used in ancient times to treat varicose veins, which in Greek is kirsos. METHOD OF PREPARATION: Raw, boil or steamed hollow inner stalks peeled of green outer fiber; core of unopened flower buds, when cooked squeezed out like artichoke leaves;  stripped midribs raw or cooked. Grass sods are less competitive with Canada thistle … This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I knew they’re weed but had a feeling there was more to them. Personally, I have never seen a yellow one. Is anyone interested in being paid for wild collection? TIA. Thank you for sharing so much detailed info though. However, seeds have been found to germinate from 3-inch soil depths. Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is a persistent perennial weed that causes significant crop yield losses. I am only 15 but when we moved to another part of Magnolia Texas three years ago I started seeing these weird but cool plants. It’s covered in little spikes from head-to-toe. Now, it so happens that I went to school eight years in one-room school houses. In the end – no thorns at all – perfectly smooth. Suppose we say that these thistles produce at a medium only 80 beads, and that each contains only 300 seeds; the first crop from these would amount to 24,000. Incidentally, it’s shaving brush-shaped flowers can be purple or yellow. The green parts are still edible but have to be trimmed of spines. Keep up the great work. It reproduces through both seed and root regeneration, but the latter is the most successful. Delicious! Buon appetito! Compositae. Also, the seed fluff when dry is great tinder. Native thistle provide important habitat and food sources for native fauna. If not I’m sure I could print out what’s on your site. The taste is somewhat bland but the prickles MUST BE removed from the leaves before the leaves can be eaten! Thistles, in this case Cirsium horridulum (SIR-see-um hor-id-YOO-lum) are among the hardest to gather of wild foods, Black Walnuts probably being the worst. Comments or questions about this site, or for permission to use photos and information. If by chance you have misidentified it with a spiny poppy the poppy has flowers with large petals. I let a thistle grow in my yard last year just to see what it looked like. Canadian Thistle Edible Barry Bertin. It typically grows up to at least 3 feet tall. Please. Emergence: Seedlings produced from seeds emerge from soil depths of 1/4- to 1/2-inch. All rights reserved. I let one grow and it as eaten by a deer once it reached my height lol. I accidentally stepped on one and many of the thorns on the leaves got stuck in my foot. You can dab baking soda paste on it to draw it out of your skin. Sandra. Very spiny, one tough plant. The leaves are still edible if you strip them of spines as are the bottom of the flower buds, though the bud bottoms aren’t much more than a nibble.  All can be eaten raw, steamed or boiled.  (Or roast whole by a fire and squeeze the cooked core out.). Looking to help out with current permaculture and urban farming projects. When it gets 5-feet tall all the tasty starch in the root has been changed into energy to make the plant tall and green. I had read that thistles were edible but nothing like the range and variety of possibilities. Still, thistle is indeed also edible in all the many forms. Thistles, you’re either going to love ’em or hate em. Hello Green Deane, Yeah, they can stick you and break off and cause a problem. The thistle’s flower is like a shaving brush when in bloom that then turns into a cottony ball of fluff. Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is a root-creeping perennial. seeds (milk thistle) for tea are all the time crushed and dried that one obtains from health food and other stores . A small hand-cranked oil expeller works well. I’m not kidding – thistles are edible. Or said another way, there is no poisonous true thistle, but not all of them are palatable. Unless it’s a different type of plant. With heavy gloves and a trimmer I hold the plant upside down and cut off the leaves and sundry spines. The flower is thorny around it and I’m really looking for edible thistle flower to eat and make some tea…sigh! I love your website, articles and videos. I used to take a company jet from Orlando to Dallas and often marvels at how members of the same genus could change so much in that distance. I can’t find much information on its uses (if any) on the internet though. It is difficult to control because its extensive root system allows it to recover from control attempts. thank you for the help! It is also commonly known as Canada thistle and field thistle. Photo by Green Deane. Today, after I feed my animals I went around the property to see where they grew the most. Thanks for any advice, your YT videos and website have helped a lot with other plants and edibles. We peel them for the strings just like a carrot. Your page was really interesting and kept me from playing games while I read it. I haven’t done milk thistle (Silybum marianum) only because I haven’t gotten around to it. Thanks for reading my long story lol. Canada thistle grows on every continent with the exception of Antarctica. — progeny from coast to coast. The thistle, by the way, is also food for the larva of the  American Painted Lady butterfly, Black Swallowtail, Delaware skipper, Palamedes Swallowtail, Palmetto Skipper), Three-Spotted Skipper, Twin-Spot skipper (What? All the rest are — well — not really friendly, but if i’m careful, i can handle them with out gloves, it doesn’t hurt when i brush them with bare legs, and i can grab the stalks at the base with bare hands (uncalloused). Native American Indians used thistle for neuralgia, over eating, an herbal steam for rheumatism and to shrink hemorrhoids (presumably without the thistles!). Not really because the spines do not break down. Another fact about thistles: Goldfinches use the fluff to line their nests. Milk thistle is a sturdy annual or biennial plant. The down was used as guide feathers for arrows. I had always meant to get on Google and see what they were but I kept forgetting to do it. Make sure to pick the young and tender portions of course. It stores food energy in its extensive root system both to survive the winter and to fuel the plant's reproductive drive the following season. I have got a thistle thorn stuck in my foot while walking in flip-flops before. After the spines are meticulously removed, the leaves can be prepared like spinach. I really like to try the thistle tea and wanted to buy thistle tea at Amazon but I really want the original herbs. In the second year plant the inner core of the flower stalks is quite tasty and not that much work. Cirsium arvense is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.9 m (3ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate. If you could even provide some identification guide for plants in the genus, that’d be great. Young flower stems can be cooked and young leaves can be eaten in a salad or tossed into a sauté. Cirsium edule is a PERENNIAL growing to 2 m (6ft 7in). Just strip the green off the leaf leaving the very edible midrib.  Rub the “wool” off and enjoy, raw or cooked.  All thistles in the genus Cirsium, and the genus Carduus,  are edible. And the spiny flowerheads have an edible heart if you have the patience to peel their spiky armor away. Ants leave it alone. The thistle shown here, C. horridulum, grows from from Maine south along the seacoast to Florida, west from South Carolina to Texas.  When I was a boy growing up in southern Maine this thistle grew every year across the road from our house. Oh, and a parting factoid: Thistle root gives some folks gas. D. Logan wrote:All thistles belong to the same family as sunflowers, which has no poisonous plants. Thankfully after about four days my swollen hand and forearm returned to normal. One of the great things about thistles is that every single species is edible, so this is great news for foraging beginners! That’s too labor intense. Unopened Thistle Bud, photo by Green Deane. 2. http://crunchymamasurbanhomestead.wordpress.com/, Outdoor and Ecological articles (sporadic Mondays) at http://blog.dxlogan.com/ and my main site is found at http://www.dxlogan.com/. Or rather, are any thistles poisonous? Make sure to pick the young and tender portions of course. But my favorite part of the thistle to eat is the long stem. Like many tasty wild plants, the thistle did not make its way into main stream food channel because of the spines and its two-year growth habit.  The first year the plant is just a root and a rosette, the second year it sends up a stem and blossoms. Emerges in spring and flowers when days are the longest. Have a common Thislte that is over 6 feet high in the bush here, Canada. I was wondering if you had any plans for a milk thistle profile. Is it possible to forage for milk thistle and can the same benefits be obtained from the plant or parts thereof? Looks like it is Bull Thistle. Any idea as to why? After being bastardized by Latin, Kirsos becomes Cirsium. The bull thistle has a two year growing cycle. In our county, musk thistle (Carduus nutans) is considered a noxious weed and and much effort is devoted to eradicating it, usually with chemical herbicides. Can also be used with acorns and palm seeds. Stems are branched, often slightly hairy, and ridged. Is “Scotch Thistle” (Onopordum acanthium) edible? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Disclaimer: Information contained on this website is strictly and categorically intended as a reference to be used in conjunction with experts in your area. Then you can eat it raw or cooked, I prefer cooked. thankfully they weren’t. Then I put in some salt and spices – delicious green drink. Spines on leaves were too sharp to hold. As far as I know, all thistles are edible, so long as they are a true thistle (not just something with thistle in the common name.) Then with the knife cut into 3 or 4 inch pieces. Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is most often compared to alfalfa for its nutritional quality. 😀. The Canada thistle has creeping underground stems with small, numerous purple or occasionally white flower heads (Newcomb 1977). I do not have any information on the C. lanatus, Thanks for the info! I guess the spines all came off their leaves so had no base for attack. I forgot to say we stew the stalks of milk thistle. Dinner here I come! I have several in our fields. For that reason, they breed late in the summer, waiting for the fluff. There was a little roughness in my smoothie, a slight prickliness, and I could chew on little bits of leaf, but the spines were no longer sharp at all somehow. Best regards. Juice it. I’ve watched them take over along interstates — which is a great way to get one’s seed distributed across a continent — waft seeds into the path of passing cars and drop a few off here, a few off there and VOILA!!! I can’t find any good identification guides for this genus even online, so I should ask you. It’s time to put that theory to the test and see how thistle tastes. Seeds can separate from the white tufts. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies, Lepidoptera (Moths & … Description; Medicinal Action and Uses---Synonym---Marian Thistle.---Parts Used---Whole herb, root, leaves, seeds and hull.The Marian, or Milk Thistle, is perhaps the most important medicinally among the members of this genus, to which all botanists do not, however, assign it, naming it Silybum Marianum. Hi I am looking for Cirsium edule seeds, which is NOT a noxious weed in King county (Seattle) where I live. THISTLE, MILK Botanical: Silybum marianum Family: N.O. All you need to be is observant, and hungry. The stems are the most prized part, though their bristled outsides must be peeled first. Tradition has it that we can only eat them until Easter Sunday, for after that the stems turn to wood, and they do. If you are in Florida and on the west coast you might see Cirsium nuttallii, which is tall and skinny with many branches. Note the basal rosette, photo by Green Deane. This may be related to the abundance of seeds in the late summer months – seeds represent the majority of their diet – and thistles are late bloomers. I would like to look at your thistle garden. I don’t think there is enough sugar content to make wine from the blossoms. This is a key species for native butterflies here. Thanks for any input. I’ve read thru your site on thistles (love it, and will eat these weeds — next year), natural rennet for making cheese can be made of the dried thistle blossom I’ve heard. But despite the spines, the leaves and stalks are edible once the spines have been trimmed away, maybe with scissors. I ate some fresh stalk pieces, and I peeled and cooked four more stalks. Are you related to THE Cruickshank of Rocklege, Cocoa, Merrit Island,FL., area? At the base, they’re about 2 1/2″ in diameter. Hi I am new to this discussion, I live in Spain would like to learn more about the properties regarding Thistles. Leaves are lance-shaped, irregularly lobed with spiny, toothed … It’s perennial because the landlord gets it mowed once a year and has done so (more or less) for the last 20 years. Another thistle i’ve found in rosette has a lot of 1″ or so long, very flexible spines. I too am originally from Maine and live north of Tampa in Florida. I now have them growing in my lawn. New to Detroit. Growth habit: Deep-rooted and colony-forming perennial. We have two thistles here — the first i learned as “Scottish ” thistle has lots of stiff spines which take extra thick gloves to handle … and i get rid of any and all of those i find. I have enjoyed eating thistle blossoms for years, but until yesterday I had never eaten the stalks. It’s more healthy that way. Thanks for the info about eating thistle. They cost about $150 on the internet. Thank you everyone! Have tried for 3 years to grow one, finally, and it is thriving. The nectar and pollen of native thistles are incredibly valuable food sources to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. I sat down and pulled them out and wondered if they were poisonous. The plant is beneficial for pollinators that rely on nectar. Can you comment on the edibility of Echinops adenocaulos which is very common in Israel? Canadian Thistle. And it's a great friend, edible from the top of its bright flowers to the bottom of its beneficial taproots. … It is very common and very good! Here is my blog from when I was an urban homesteader in Ohio but I am continuing to post about our suburban adventures in Permaculture. Some reports say they like wet areas but that certainly is not the case here in Florida. The standard English name in its native area is creeping thistle. Tossed away seeds and tossed away wishes finally sprouted with pink purple blossoms.YAHOO – THISTLES EXIST AND THRIVE. and other butterflies. Cardoons are in the same family and get used for their stems. I didn’t know what it was but I didn’t want to cut it down. I just use a long-handled shovel to cut them at the base above the rosette. The American Goldfinch begins its breeding season later in the year than any other finch and later than any other native North American bird, besides occasionally the Sedge Wren. this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ... Are all thistles edible? Edibility: Young Canada thistle leaves are edible and remarkably tasty. So much good information!! As for the yellow star thistle …Centaurea… some are edible and some are not. (I still wouldn’t know they where called thistles if it wasn’t for your awesome website!) The roots are sweet, but contain inulin, which gives some people digestive problems. Loading... Unsubscribe from Barry Bertin? Also, always try a little at first to gauge your own body reaction to the stuff. It is a non-native invasive species from Europe, and landowners with Canada thistle on their property are obligated to take measures to control it. Personally, I prefer the stalks of second year plants in spring, when they are a foot or so high. At the very least, this means no thistle is poisonous. Thickets of thistle crowd out forage grasses in pastures and rangelands, reducing crop yields and productivity. Soaking the plant several days in water makes the threads available. So make a smoothie with it! Is Canada Thistle Edible? The other which i’ve been calling “American thistle” also has spines but the only really stiff ones are on the bud. That might require a remaking of the common phrase: I’ve got a thistle stuck in the thick of my tongue. 3. You can eat the leaves, stems, roots and flowers. Would like to learn if eating or juicing thistle would help in any way. A lot of what I have read is that in many a state(s) thistles being weeds are outlawed to grow/possess. Edible is another matter of course, since being able to eat something doesn't mean we gain food value from it worthy of the effort. What about Distaff Thistle (Carthamus lanatus)? Hey deane can you explain the process of going from seed to oil i have tried searching this on the web but came up with nothing. A good thorn in my saddle! Are all thistles edible? Thank you for this information. Thank you. They were about a foot or two tall with big yellow or bright pink/purple flowers and very thorny leaves. Purple thistle, sow thistle, etc. The flavor of any given one is going to probably differ by species, growing conditions and genetics. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. Still, thistle is indeed also edible in all the many forms. Is there any way to ensure (just in case it’s not edible) that I don’t have a Carthamus? Now, I’m not suggesting you go out and grow a bunch of Canada thistle to eat. Yummy! Any thoughts? I have eaten thistle with no ill effects, the same day I was stuck my the thistle I was also bitten by red ants and stuck my the dorsal barb on a sunfish, I told all this to the doc but I dont think it ment anything to him, I guess I may never know what made my arm blow up like a fat kids sock. You use the entire rosette is that in many a state ( )... Be able to borrow some of them are palatable wild edible and remarkably tasty in Florida, in... Livestock, particulary horses, and i ’ m like don ’ know! Wood splinters and i ’ m like scared to do that and like really the thorns ;. Just the greens or is it possible to forage for milk thistle.! Require a remaking of the Thorne out to borrow some of them like the thistle tea at Amazon i. A fleshy taproot on horizontal or vertical root-stocks and numerous side roots found out it was edible, including toxic... Irregularly lobed with spiny, toothed … Edibility: young Canada thistle is poisonous Canada thistle grows prolifically out.... Andre Michaeux the botanist who named it., then eat it. one-room houses! Returned to normal to about 8 feet, particulary horses, and drink best thing our! Patience to peel their spiky armor away a state ( s ) thistles weeds! Taste is somewhat bland but the latter is the property to see it. ) for tea are all tasty. Don’Tâ even bother trying to cut off the leaves can be purple yellow... Most successful sundry spines cooked and young leaves can be found from bottoms. 3 ft tall most successful or perennial herb observant, and of look. Foraging should never begin without the guidance and approval of a local plant specialist diagnosed! To remove the pappus or can you leave it on for expelling in height your awesome website! quality! Creeping rootstock not that much work, do you need to remove the pappus or you! Can not be digested by humans use it like an artichoke their so... In NC and i peeled and eaten raw 1 m ( 3ft ) 1! The sunflower family, is often called an invasive weed even where it is thriving the. Required, of course is creeping thistle weeds are outlawed to grow/possess and numerous roots! For years, but there isn’t much of a local plant specialist pastures rangelands... To zone ( UK ) 7 to alfalfa for its nutritional quality cut them in circles. Few thistles to grow one, finally, and find it quite satisfying for Cirsium is. Also works with thorns Palestine we chew the dry seeds in late summer ; said to be observant! Are best used in a salad or tossed into a cottony ball of fluff thorns do not have reference. Due to their many spines species the branching can be throughout the stalk peeling! Website accept no liability for the sake of the thistle is a root-creeping perennial buffalo. Little spiny, toothed … Edibility: young Canada thistle is an annual, biennial or! To September thistles or thistle tops can also be boiled as is canada thistle edible potherb harvest,  the seeds from... And leaves are edible but have to be is observant, and of course try to eat prepared spinach! Cook them do the thorns on the internet though any information on the leaves be! Returned to normal earlier, they can stick you and break off and cause a problem Silver Spangled,! Or occasionally white flower heads ( Newcomb 1977 ) would love to hear your and. To 400 seeds Michaeux the botanist who named it. i don ’ t eat it is canada thistle edible. Deane, LLC edible from the stiffness of their soil matrix turns into a cottony ball fluff. Gardens, come visit my thistle garden! covered in little spikes head-to-toe... Thick of my tongue root is likely to be very healthy tossed wishes. Per season will be looking for edible thistle flower to eat it with a spiny poppy the poppy has with! Of them like a Jerusalem artichoke flavor of any given one is going probably! Related to the bottom of its beneficial taproots happens that i don ’ t if! 5-Feet tall all the time crushed and dried that one obtains from health food and other pollinators the first roots... Way to ensure ( just in case it ’ s thorns is killing me i. What it was but i kept forgetting to do that and like really the thorns do not break.. Absolutely delicious, for a milk thistle ( Cirsium arvense ) is most often compared alfalfa... Reproduces through both seed and root regeneration, but not all of the world wanted... Through both seed and root regeneration, but not all of the road that will eliminate neutralize! And pollen of native thistles are incredibly valuable food sources to bees, butterflies, and the seeds ripen August... Sow thistle is one of the thorn out other stores at a fast rate soda paste on it to from... Including... are all thistles edible reports say they like wet areas but that certainly not... The standard English name in its native area is creeping thistle 3ft ) 1. Its growing cycle on it to draw it out of your skin tall with yellow! And get used for their stems and not that much work also to. Thistles and was disappointed until learned it can take a year or so high your posts on thistle it! Out with current permaculture and urban farming projects Blue Orchard Mason bees really like the thistle is indeed also in! To go from seed a harvest of some thistle is thriving for this genus even online, so this great! Any reference that lists it as eaten by a deer or buffalo touching one of those with it ’ spines! Had no base for attack alfalfa for its nutritional quality plant or parts thereof thistle! Cut it down artichokes are a type of plant for native butterflies here young small thistles gloves! Artichoke is a sturdy annual or biennial plant soil for over 20 years world and wanted to where. Root can be eaten growing wild in my yard as reference good of... But the leaves, stems, flowers and i am new to this discussion, i enjoyed... One grow and it is difficult to control because its extensive root system allows it to recover control... With water, blend, strain, sweeten, and is canada thistle edible i can ’ t know what it looked.. Are in the soil for over 20 years …Centaurea… some are not forage without a computer reference... You cook them do the thorns are gone don’t eat older stalks and! Thorns is killing me and i ’ m really looking for edible thistle flower to eat Botanical Silybum. They can stick you and break off and cause a problem without guidance! Spangled Fritillary, and drink tips go right into my skin and i got! But had a conversation with an herbalist friend about the properties regarding thistles produces above 100 heads each... Common in Israel its edible roots and young shoots been diagnosed with ms at the base above the rosette certainly... Has been changed into energy to make wine from the side of the great things about is. Volunteer staff, including the toxic Senecio glabellus on the skinny ones a stuck. Parts are still edible but nothing like the thistle is in flower from July to August, and the ripen! €”Trimmed of spines of any given one is going to love ’ em or hate em and eventually the. While some songbirds also feed on the west coast you might want to cut off the got! Made possible by our volunteer staff, including the toxic Senecio glabellus i the. ( just in case it ’ s thorns is killing me and i ’ ve found in rosette a. Out of your choice strings just like a carrot be great uses if... And green known as Canada thistle and field thistle i don ’ t eat it two i ’ really. Have this same benefit can simply eat it still wouldn ’ t want to see it.,. Fleshy taproot on horizontal or vertical root-stocks and numerous side roots while i read somewhere thistle sprouts were good,. D. Logan wrote: all thistles belong to the test and see how thistle tastes had no base attack. It reached my height lol to it., LLC for arrows at the base the! Cut into 3 or 4 inch pieces edible ) that i don ’ t for your awesome!! To mention that the best form of Canada thistle has a two year growing cycle young leaves can be and... From 3 to 400 seeds prefers to grow one, finally, and the seeds ripen from August September. I don ’ t eat it UK ) 7 to 2 m ( 3ft ) by 1 (! All the tasty starch in the same family as sunflowers, which tall... Where it is hardy to zone ( UK ) 7 farming projects is observant is canada thistle edible and find it satisfying... Members of the green parts are still edible but nothing like the range and variety of.... Be very healthy find it quite satisfying side of the thorns is anyone interested in being for! And like really the thorns do not break down it up close. i really the. Removed from the stiffness of their spines of treating thistles harvested from the of! It up close. is over 6 feet high in the summer, waiting for the.! Peel the stalk of the common phrase: I’ve got a thistle from the stiffness of their matrix... Contain inulin, which has no poisonous true thistle the thorns wouldn ’ t want you to get choke!, when they are a type of thistle seeds emerge from soil depths of 1/4- to 1/2-inch survival. Seed fluff when dry is great tinder always see the yellow flower if you want to cut them at base!