Common name: Artichoke thistle
Botanical name: Cynara scolymus
Artichoke thistle is a stout, erect, greyish perennial which forms a rosette of very large leaves and usually grows to a height of 60 to 150 cm, although occasional plants are found over 2 metres high. Seeds germinate mainly in autumn and the plant usually flowers in its second summer. It grows mainly on medium to heavy soils in pastures, on roadsides and creeklands, waste lands and vacant industrial areas.
