Leaf type: Lobed, pinnately divided, sinuous
Leaf margin: Toothed, bristly
Phyllotaxis: Alternate (stem leaves), rosette-shaped (basal leaves)
Colour: Blue-green to green, stems and leaves turn reddish in sunny locations
Life cycle: Annual or overwintering annual
Leaf (upper side)
Habitus & biology
Sonchus oleraceus is an annual or overwintering annual. If the seeds have germinated in late summer or fall, flowering thistles can be seen in mild regions until winter. Depending on the location, it grows to a height of between 30 and 90 centimeters.
The leaves are more or less lobed and can be blue-green or green in color. Soft thorns sit on the edges.
Only the basal leaves have a stalk; the upper leaves surround the stem at the base.
Distribution & habitates
Its original range is in Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. As a neophyte, Sonchus oleraceus also grows in Australia, South America, North America, and other regions (source).
It colonizes roadsides, weed patches, embankments, ditches, gardens, and meadows.
Botany
The most commonly used names for Sonchus oleraceus are sowthistle, common sowthistle, or annual sowthistle. The plant, which belongs to the Asteraceae family, is also known as smooth sow thistle, hare’s colwort, and other popular names.
