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Herbaceous Perennial

Sonchus arvensis

perennial sowthistle

A native perennial about 1.5m tall, with creeping stolons, and upright stems, furrowed and bristly, bearing upper leaves clasping the stem with rounded basal lobes. Golden yellow flowerheads produced from midsummer to autumn are 4-5cm across, borne in lax clusters, the flowers have bracts with sticky, yellowish glands

Other common names

corn sowthistle
dindle
see moregutweed
swine thistle
tree sowthistle
goutweed
hogweed

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Alkaline, Neutral, Acid

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Asteraceae
Native to the UK: Yes
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Sonchus are mostly annuals with a few perennials and rarely a shrub. Most produce a basal rosette of deeply-toothed leaves, upright stems with clasping leaves and yellow, dandelion-like flowers
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Grows naturally in disturbed ground such roadsides and cultivated land or as a common garden weed. Has the potential to become a nuisance in lawns, beds and borders if not well managed

Propagation

Spreads readily by seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wildflower meadow
Wildlife gardens

Pruning

No pruning necessary

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews and a leaf spot

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