Annuals Dictionary: Silybum
Daisy family
Compositae
Sil-ly’bum. Annual or biennial herbs, comprising only 2 species, natives of the Mediterranean region. The species below grown as an ornamental plant for its silvery leaves. Also grown as a vegetable, since its roots, leaves, and flowerheads are edible.
Description
Leaves alternate, with white spots and veins on the upper side, the margins lobed and spiny. Flowerheads purplish, solitary and nodding. Many bracts surround the head, forming a globe-shaped receptacle.
How to Grow
Easy to grow from seeds. Sow outdoors in ordinary garden soil. Will bloom the first year if sown early. Can become a troublesome weed. Prefers cool weather.
Silybum Marianum
Holy Thistle ; Lady’s-Thistle ; Milk Thistle . To 4 ft. (120 cm) high. Flowerheads rose to purplish red, to 2 in. (6 cm) across. Bracts surrounding heads curved and spiny. Mediterranean region, naturalized in Calif. Hardy annual, sometimes biennial.