Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)
Wild Flowers of Sleepy Hollow Lake
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"And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.
And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day" (Genesis 1:31)
(Thistle, Bull - 01)
The bull thistle is one of about 50 species of thistle
known to exist in the United States. Bull thistle plants usually grow from
three to six feet in height. The bracts, stems, and leaves of the bull
thistle are covered with sharp thorny prickles, which is one of the plant's
characteristics. |
(Thistle, Bull - 01a)
In this photo of the bull thistle, we can see a mature
bract after the bloom has disappeared, and a smaller bract that is ready to send
forth its flowery bloom. We can also see the winged stem with its small
leaf-like projections, and the pinnate leaflets with their broad veins, which
are even more pronounced from the underside and give the bull thistle its
scientific name, Cirsium, which comes from the Greek word cirsos, meaning
"swollen vein." |
(Thistle, Bull - 02) This is the
beautiful bull thistle bloom that is just beginning to open fully. There
is a passage in the Bible that speaks of the thistle as being part of the
curse brought upon the earth as a result of Adam's and Eve's disobedience
(Genesis 3:17-18): 17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; (KJV) The beautiful blooming flowers of the bull thistle are one of God's reminders of His presence, coming renewal, and hope for the whole of creation. |
(Thistle, Bull - 02a)
Each one of these beautiful tubular projections in the
bloom of the bull thistle is a separate flower. The bull thistle is a
member of the Composite family. |
(Thistle, Bull - 02b)
This is a bee's eye view of the opening central flowers of
the bull thistle. The heads of more flowers can be seen ready to push
their way up to the surface and fill out the whole bloom. |
(Thistle, Bull - 03)
The bull thistle is a biennial wild flower. The first
year the plant produces a basal rosette of leaves and the second year it sends
forth its flower stalks. |
(Thistle, Bull - 04)
This bull thistle bloom has fully opened and has become
somewhat "roughed up" by the weather and insects, which has aided the plant in
pollinating. |
(Thistle, Bull - 05)
This is another fully opened bull thistle bloom which
appears to be in perfect shape. |
(Thistle, Bull - 05a)
If you hadn't noticed on the previous photo, an uninvited
guest had come to eat at the bull thistle cafe. |
(Thistle, Bull - 06)
Another beautiful bull thistle bloom! |
(Thistle, Bull - 07)
Bull thistle and other plants crowd together, just off the
side of the road. The warm juice from the crushed roots of the bull
thistle was used to relieve earaches and toothaches. The nutritious roots
were also eaten raw, boiled, or roasted. |
(Thistle, Bull - 08)
This bull thistle is as large as a bush. |
(Thistle, Bull - 09)
This bull thistle seemed to tower more than six feet high. |
(Thistle, Bull - 10)
This is not a bush; it's a bull thistle, and probably the
largest one we've ever seem. |
(Thistle, Bull - 11)
This is a closer look at this huge bull thistle that we
estimated to be over 12 feet tall. |
(Thistle, Bull - 12) Almost every day,
weather permitting, we walk the nearly three and one half mile round trip
to pick up our mail. On the way back home on 31 Jul 2012, Mary, with mail
bag slung over her shoulder, stopped beside this more than ten foot high
bull thistle that was growing from the roadside drainage ditch, so we
could take this photo. |
(Thistle, Bull - 13) This is a closer
look at Mary beside the more than ten foot high bull thistle. |
(Thistle, Bull - 14) On 6 Aug 2012,
we took this photo of a bull thistle rising above the other plants and
displaying its first flowers of the season. |
(Thistle, Bull - 15) This is a closer
look at the top of the bull thistle. Note that the lower leaves are
already dying. |
(Thistle, Bull - 16) This is another
look at the bull thistle. |
| Wild Flowers of SHL: Photo Identification, Common Name, Scientific Name | Art and Photos |
Presented here are just a few of the countless components of God's creation.
Just as we cannot have human and animal life without water and plants, neither
can we have lasting peace without love and compassion. It is our hope and
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manner; that we would no longer hurt or destroy each other, the animals or our
environment.
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please contact:
Frank L. Hoffman
flh@all-creatures.org
© 2001-2012 - The Mary T. and Frank L. Hoffman Family Foundation. All rights reserved. May be copied only for personal use or by not for profit organizations to promote compassionate and responsible living. All copied and reprinted material must contain proper credits and web site link www.all-creatures.org.
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