common teasel

Also known as: Adam's flannel; barber's brushes; carde thistle; church brooms; clothes brush; gypsy's comb; hutton weed; Indian thistle; prickly back; shepherd's rod; shepherd's staff; Venus' basin; Venus' bath; Venus' cup; water thistle; wild teasel; wood broom

A biennial, to 3m, erect with side branches. Foliage is bright green, prickly on lower mid-ribs, the stem leaves joined at the base to cup the stem. Flowerheads, to 6cm long, are stiffly bristly from the projecting calyx spines. The flowers are tiny and blue, appearing in a band round the flowerhead over an extended flowering time. Plant remains intact throughout winter, and seedheads attract goldfinches