Teasel - Dipsacus fullonum

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Teasel - Dipsacus fullonum
© Peter Wakely/English Nature

This wonderfully structured plant produces a spiny cone-like flowerhead. The purple flowers appear in a band around the centre of this, with spiny bracts that curve upwards from the base. Flowering begins in July and this continues upwards and downwards until it has involved the whole flowerhead. Each flower develops into a brown seed which, when ripe, is a favourite food of goldfinches. Teasel is a biennial plant. In the first year a large rosette of pale green prickly leaves is formed and in the second the thick flowering stem, branched and spiny, grows up to two metres tall, with stalkless, paired stem leaves that collect water.

Teasel is often seen growing en-masse on motorway verges but also occurs along river banks, damp woodland edges and on disturbed soil. Teasels make excellent plants for the garden, both for dry flower arrangements and for their wildlife value as nectar sources for bees and winter seed sources for birds. They are easy to grow, tolerating most garden situations with moist soil and will self-seed freely.

The many local names include prickly beehives and brushes-and-combs.

Animals

Brimstone, Buff-tailed bumble bee, Common carder bumble bee, Goldfinch, Honey bee, Peacock, Red-tailed bumble bee, Small copper, White-tailed bumble bee

Foliage	Green
Flower	Purple, July to August
Moisture	(Average)
Sunlight	(Full sun to Part-shade)
Origin	Native