CICERBITA BOURGAEI
Although this Pontic blue sow thistle is originally from Turkey, it is well suited for the tall herb communities we call hochstaudenflur in the Netherlands. A close relative of lettuce, it is a lovely plant that produces panicles of numerous stellate f lowers from June to July. These f lowers look similar to chicory but their colour is a little more lilac. It’s a thick-stemmed bristly perennial that has an almost wild appearance and works extremely well in natural planting schemes. Despite its Turkish origins it’s also very hardy and in our garden has survived to -29 º C. Height 1m. Origin Asia, Turkey. Conditions Moist soil; full sun, part shade. Hardiness RHS H7. Season of interest Summer to autumn.