Sonchus arvensis

RHS Plant Profile
perennial sowthistle

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Other common names

corn sowthistle, dindle, gutweed, swine thistle, tree sowthistle, goutweed, hogweed

Plants for pollinators
Herbaceous Perennial

A native perennial about 1.5m tall, with creeping stolons, and upright stems, furrowed and bristly, bearing upper leaves clasping the stem with rounded basal lobes. Golden yellow flowerheads produced from midsummer to autumn are 4-5cm across, borne in lax clusters, the flowers have bracts with sticky, yellowish glands

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1–2 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Alkaline or Neutral or Acid

Position

Full sun
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H7

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Asteraceae
Native to GB/Ireland
Yes
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming
Genus
Sonchus are mostly annuals with a few perennials and rarely a shrub. Most produce a basal rosette of deeply-toothed leaves, upright stems with clasping leaves and yellow, dandelion-like flowers
Name Status
Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grows naturally in disturbed ground such roadsides and cultivated land or as a common garden weed. Has the potential to become a nuisance in lawns, beds and borders if not well managed

Propagation

Spreads readily by seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Wildflower meadow
  • Wildlife gardens

Pruning

No pruning necessary

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews and a leaf spot