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Silybum marianum |
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| Common name |
Mary's thistle, milk thistle |
| Family |
asteraceae |
| Life cycle |
biennial |
| Flowers |
see below |
| Size |
foliage to 12", flowers to 24" |
| Light |
full sun-part shade |
| Cultural notes |
ordinary garden soil |
From seed  |
easy, germinates at room temperature
Flowers first year from seed sown indoors early.
detailed seed-starting info below
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Strikingly variegated foliage. Self-sowed for me in fall of the year it flowered, but seedlings did not survive winter.
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| All references I've found online show pink/purple flowers. Mine flowers white (actually, I'd prefer the more colorful blooms); a different species, or just a different variety? When started indoors, this flowers in its first year.
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This plant used to grow in our garden, but it slipped away... About my plant portraits
PlantLinks to other web pages about Silybum marianum
Visitors to this page have left the following comments| Susan | Sep 26, 2004 | Silybum marianum seed for sale or trade? |
| manochehr shiri | Sep 12, 2005 | I am postgraduate student.
can you send me about effects of salinity and temperature on germination of sylibum marianum?
thanks alot.
I'm afraid I don't know those details. Good luck finding them elsewhere. |
| Mayla | Nov 14, 2005 | Sylibum marianum with white flowers is just a variety from the one with purple flowers. They actually have the same composition, except for the compound responsible for the coloring. It's a very nice plant - it's used against cancer and general hepatic disorders (chronic inflammatory liver disease and hepatic cirrhosis).
The flower photo is beautiful. I'm stealing it to place it in my monography about the plant. Thanks! |
| Susan Johnston | May 26, 2006 | This is yet another thistle, which is a host plant for the Painted Lady butterflies. Keep on the look out!
Thanks for the info - I'll keep an eye out for them. |
| Anne-Marie | May 27, 2008 | I had this growing as a weed in our garden but thought the variegated leaves and flowers were beautiful! Must have been a sign that they were growing in my garden as this particular plant - silybum marianum - has been instrumental in helping to control my iron overload disorder and reduce high iron levels in my blood! I have been taking Milk Thistle in capsule form for 7 months and my iron levels are now the lowest in 6 years, almost normal!! Hurray for Milk Thistle!
Interesting site and great pics!
Cheers,
Anne-Marie
Australia |
| farhat | Aug 26, 2009 | what is the difference between red purple and white flowerning |
| Shaaron Conoly | Apr 28, 2010 | Such an amazing and dramatic plant. I would like to add my pictures. |
| Patricia Lines | Aug 08, 2011 | Found this beautiful little plant growing in my lawn. Watered it, watched it grow and now discover it's a Milk Thistle. Long may it thrive - I love it. |
- Seed garden '02. Baggy, 65F (100%G, 4d)
- Same seed as above. Baggy 70F (100%G, 4d)
Seed apparently remains viable for years. Quick to grow, don't start too early.
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