Plum Thistle


1 entry found.
Picture of Plum Thistle Plum Thistle
Common Name: Thistle, Cirsium, Plum Thistle
Botanical Name: Cirsium japonicum (SIR-see-um ja-PON-i-cum)
Decorative Life: 7 days.
Post Harvest Care:
  • Remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution.
  • Often very spiny, handle with care.
Family Roots:
  • Member of the Asteraceae or Compositae (aster or sunflower) family.
  • Native to Japan.
  • Related species include chrysanthemum, dahlia, zinnia, marigold.
Personality:
  • Globose flower heads with feathery petals occur at stem ends.
  • Stems prickly, leafy, 24-36 inches long.
  • Plant is an annual, classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined.
  • Flowers are not fragrant.
Availability: Mainly summer-fall, but some species nearly year-round
Flower Color: Red, pink, purple, carmine.
Storage Specifics: 36-41F for a short time.
Tidbits:
  • Most species in this genus are weeds.
  • The Compositae or aster family is vast, with over 20,000 species, and is also one of the most developed families. It was named Compositae because the flowers are actually a "composite" of many individual flowers into one head. Hence, when children pull one "petal" off at a time, saying "she/he loves me, loves me not", they are actually removing a complete flower, not just a petal.
  • Suitable for drying.