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Annual Biennial

Sonchus asper

prickly sowthistle

A robust annual, up to 1.5m tall, with shiny, deeply lobed leaves with soft prickles, a hollow stem with milky sap, and, in summer, clusters of small, dandelion-like flowers followed by short-lived, fluffy seedheads

Synonyms

Sonchus oleraceus var. asper

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

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 GB / Ireland: 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 cultivated ground, waste ground, roadsides and other open areas; a common garden weed

Propagation

Spreads readily by seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wildflower meadow
Wildlife gardens

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids and a leaf miner

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews and a leaf spot

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