Teasel - Dipsacus fullonum
Irish name - Lus an Fhucadora
Teasel family - Dipsacaceae
Teasel is an erect biennial. A biennial is a plant that lives, flowers, produces seed and dies within two years. However under managed conditions teasel is sometimes referred to as a monocarpogenic perennial, that is to say, the plant can be prevented from flowering by inhibiting the growth of the plant by regular cutting. Such management prevents the teasel from flowering and otherwise dying like a classic biennial.
Teasel can grow to over 2m in height. It has small downward pointing prickles on its stem and distinctive spiny egg-shaped flower heads. Flowers are approximately 3cm to 10cm long and consist of many individual white to lilac flowers that bloom in a circular pattern around the flower head. Individual flowers are from 10 to 15 mm long and occur on flower stalks (peduncles). Several long, leaf-like bracts also branch out from the base of the flower and curve upward around the head. Plants initially produce a basal rosette of leaves and then flowering stems are produced during the second year. Rosette leaves are oval in outline, have a wrinkled appearance, and have margins with rounded or ‘scalloped’ teeth. Leaves that occur on the flowering stems are opposite and lanceolate (spear shaped). They are ‘clasping’, as their leaf bases completely surround the stem.
As with many of our native wildflowers, teasel is known by many different names. The first part of its scientific name ‘Dipsacus‘ derives from Greek and means ‘to thirst’. This name was given to this plant because of the way rainwater collects at the base of leaves, where the leaf and the stem together form a little bowl. This is also the reason why Romans called it ‘Venus’s basin’ and why early Christians in Ireland called it Mary’s basin’. The second part of its botanical name ‘fullonum‘ is derived from the term ‘a fuller’. Fuller is the old name for someone who used teasel to comb out wool. Therefore in some places teasel is also known by the name ‘brush and comb’. Furthermore the Irish name Lus an Fhucadora translates as ‘Fuller’s Herb’. In addition another name is ‘Johnny-prick-the-finger’, due to its sharp spiky form. Today a cultivated variety of teasel is still grown for use in the textile industry. It has hooks on the ends of the spikes, and is used in the manufacture of cashmere and velour fabrics. Teasel is also named the herbal ‘fracture healer’ to denote its ability to help heal broken bones and sinews. As a liver and kidney tonic, Teasel provides nutrients to maintain strong bones, sinews and cartilage. In Chinese medicine, this herb is also used for promoting energy and blood circulation. Moreover an ointment produced from the roots of this plant was traditionally used to cure warts.
In the flowering season the plant is visited by butterflies who sip on the nectar. Each individual flower in the flower head (approximately 2000 per head) produces a seed. After the seeds have formed in autumn the plant starts to die, but the dried stems and seed heads will still be around all winter. Despite the fact that the head is well protected by its spikiness, some animals such as goldfinches do manage to get through, and for them it is an important food source over the winter month. The dead adult plants leave a relatively large area of bare ground, formerly occupied by their own basal leaves, that new plants in the following year readily occupy. But seeds may also have the capacity to be water-dispersed, which may allow seeds to be dispersed over longer distances.
Teasel is primarily a weed of roadsides, rough pastures, ruderal fields, and occasionally rosettes can be found in short grass.
Propagation
From seed
Fill a seed tray two thirds full with seed compost. Lightly smooth off the surface, and gently press with a flat board. Water the compost. Scatter seeds evenly over the surface. Using a sieve, cover the seeds with a very thin layer of compost.
Label the tray and place in a warm position and cover with black plastic. Check regularly and as soon as there are signs of germination, remove the plastic and place in a warm, sunny location.
When the teasel has formed a small rosette, transplant the young plant into a small pot. The teasel will grow quite quickly and should be planted in the ground within a few weeks of transplanting.
The following grow in similar habitats (alphabetical by common name)
- Bladder Campion
- Bugle
- Common Dog Violet
- Cuckooflower
- Devil's-bit Scabious
- Field Scabious
- Foxglove
- Goat's-beard
- Harebell
- Ivy
- Knapweed
- Lady's Bedstraw
- Lesser Celandine
- Meadowsweet
- Ox-eye Daisy
- Primrose
- Ragged-Robin
- Red Campion
- Self-heal
- Wild Strawberry
- Yarrow
Permission from the landowner - and, if the site holds any kind of designation, from Northern Ireland Environment Agency too - must be sought before collecting plant material (including seeds).