Other common names
Adam's flannel, barber's brushes, carde thistle, church brooms, clothes brush, crib y pannwr, 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
Synonyms
Dipsacus fullonum subsp. fullonum, Dipsacus sylvestris
Annual Biennial
A branched, upright biennial, to around 3m in height with bright green foliage, prickly on lower mid-ribs, the stem leaves joined at the base to cup the stem. Stiff, bristly flowerheads with tiny blue flowers appearing in a band round the flowerhead over an extended flowering time, appear in summer. The plant remains intact throughout winter, and seedheads attract goldfinches
Position
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil Types
Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Max Height
1.5-2.5 metres
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres