Hence the move to make similar use of this closely related and much more common species. As sow thistle can grow up to 1 m tall, it can be quite a competitive weed. It gets its common name from being ...

Plus, foraging is just plain fun. Instructor Garth Harwood, right, introduces students to the common sow thistle during a foraging basics class at Hidden Villa. Photo by Magali Gauthier.

Our Mystery Plant ("Spiny sow-thistle”, Sonchus asper ... Sure enough, it is common all over the USA as a weed, and not just in gardens. John Nelson is a retired botanist from the herbarium ...