Wild Teasel

Dipsacus fullonum

Please keep in mind that it is illegal to uproot a plant without the landowner's consent and care should be taken at all times not to damage wild plants. Wild plants should never be picked for pleasure and some plants are protected by law.
For more information please download the BSBI Code of Conduct PDF document.

Plant Data

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Order:

Dipsacales

Family:

Dipsacaceae (Teasel)

Also in this family:

Devilsbit Scabious, Field Scabious, Small Scabious

Type:

Flower

Life Cycle:

Biennial

Maximum Size:

2 metres tall

Habitats:

Farmland, grassland, hedgerows, meadows, riverbanks, roadsides, wasteland, waterside, woodland.

Flower:

Purple, 4 petals

Very distinctive. Pale purple spiny flowerhead with a horizontal band of flowers in the middle which open first. The flowerheads remain on the dead stems throughout winter months. Individual flowers have 4-5 petals and 4 stamens.

Fruit:

Light brown, ridged and hairy achene (seed). 4-angled, up to 5mm long.

Leaves:

Prickly leaves. The basal leaves are oblong and fleshy, up to 12 inches long and 3 inches wide. The stem leaves are narrower and often cupped at their bases, holding rainwater. The leaves can persist throughout the winter months.

Other Names:

Barber's Brush, Brushes and Combs, Card Teasel, Card-thistle, Church Broom, Common Teasel, Donkey's Thistle, Draper's Teasel, Fairies' Broom, Fairies' Fire, Fuller's Teasel, Gypsy-combs, Hair-brush, Indian Teasel, Johnny-prick-the-finger, Lady's Brush and Comb, Lady's Brushes, Teazel, Teazle, Venuscup, Venus'-cup, Venuscup Teasel, Venus's Basin, Venus's Lip.

Frequency (UK):

Common

Distribution Map

Reproduced by kind permission of the BSBI.

Click to open an Interactive Map