Worth knowing:
In spring, the blessed thistle develops long, large-toothed and white hairy leaves of luscious green colour in the shape of a rosette. Out of its middle, an equally leafy, white hairy and pentagonal stem appears later on with its thorny, mostly red-waxy hairy bracts of the flower bud. The thistle-like plant blooms in June with a yellow composite flower. The healing effects of St. Benedict’s thistle were already mentioned and can be found in medieval and early modern sources.
Natural Location:
Wild growing St. Benedict’s thistle can be found in the Mediterranean as well as in southwestern and southeastern Europe to Anatolia and North Africa.
Cultivation:
For outdoor cultivation, you can sow the seeds between March and May, ideally in sandy humus or in the rock garden. Beforehand, however, you should pour hot water over the seeds and let them swell overnight to increase germination. Plant the seeds with a seed depth of about 1 cm and a planting distance of 30 cm. Usually, germination takes place within a few weeks.
Place:
Blessed thistle thrives best in a sunny location.
Care:
Apart from watering the plant in extreme drought, milk thistle does not require any special care. Harvest: it is best to harvest the leaves and flowering herb several times between June and August. You may harvest the leaves and the shoot tips with flowers. Start with the base leaves first by harvesting them 5 to 10 cm above the ground. Later you can take the stem leaves and finally the flowering tips of the twigs. You can dry the collected herbs in thin layers or bundled at around 30° Celsius. The herb can be stored well in paper bags or cloth bags in a dark and cool place when grated beforehand.
During the winter:
St. Benedict’s thistle is an annual plant and must be sown again in the following year.
Picture credits:
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- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © About © : Contact SAFLAX - - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © About © : Contact SAFLAX - - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © About © : Contact SAFLAX - - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © About © : Contact SAFLAX - - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © About © : Contact SAFLAX - - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © About © : Contact SAFLAX - - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
