All plants /Ground /Sow Thistle
Sow Thistle
Sonchus oleraceus, aster family. Abundant in East and Central and West Texas.
At a glance
- What
- Young leaves
- How
- Raw when young, cooked when older
- When
- Cool months
- Where
- Gardens, lots, roadsides
- Value
- A mild dandelion-like green
Caution: Soft spineless leaves and milky sap; a harmless dandelion relative. Harvest away from sprayed ground. Never eat a wild plant on this guide's word alone. Confirm identity against several sources and learn the look-alikes first.
Identification
Looks thistly but the soft edges don't bite. Break a stem and it bleeds white, like its cousin the dandelion.
In the kitchen
Young leaves are mild and juicy in salad; older ones lose their slight bitterness with a quick cooking.
Photo: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Forages well with
Forage safely. Never eat a wild plant on this site's word alone. Confirm identity with several sources, learn the look-alikes, and when in doubt, leave it in the ground.