{"product_id":"75-milk-thistle-seeds-organic-silybum-marianum","title":"75 Milk Thistle Seeds - Organic - Silybum marianum","description":"\u003cp\u003eCommon Name: blessed milkthistle \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eType: Herbaceous perennial\u003cbr\u003e Family: Asteraceae\u003cbr\u003e Native Range: Southern Europe, Asia\u003cbr\u003e Zone: 5 to 10\u003cbr\u003e Height: 3.00 to 5.00 feet\u003cbr\u003e Spread: 3.00 to 4.00 feet\u003cbr\u003e Bloom Time: July to August\u003cbr\u003e Bloom Description: Purple-pink\u003cbr\u003e Sun: Full sun\u003cbr\u003e Water: Medium\u003cbr\u003e Maintenance: Medium\u003cbr\u003e Suggested Use: Annual, Naturalize\u003cbr\u003e Flower: Showy\u003cbr\u003e Leaf: Colorful\u003cbr\u003e Other: Thorns\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCulture\u003cbr\u003e Grow in average, moderately fertile, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates poor soils. Remove seed heads promptly after bloom to prevent self-seeding. This plant is a biennial that can be grown as an annual. For growth as a biennial, sow seed directly in the garden from May to August (flowers will not appear until the second year). For growth as an annual, sow seed indoors in March for planting outside at last spring frost date (flowers will appear in late summer followed by seed). Flowering plants may spread by self-seeding unless flowers are promptly deadheaded after bloom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNoteworthy Characteristics\u003cbr\u003e Silybum marianum, commonly called blessed thistle or milk thistle, is a rosette-forming biennial that is native to the Mediterranean region (southern Europe, western Asia and northern Africa). It has naturalized in parts of Europe, North America, South America, Australia and New Zealand. It is an invasive self-seeder in some locations (Class A noxious weed in the State of Washington). In the first year, a showy rosette of deeply lobed, obovate, spiny green leaves (to 20\" long) with distinctive white marbling appears. Leaves and stems exude a milky sap when cut, hence the common name of milk thistle. In the second year, a strong flower stalk rises from the foliage rosette to 3-5' tall bearing thistle-like, mildly-scented, purple-pink flower heads (2\" across) subtended by spiny bracts. Flowers are followed by seed as the plant completes its biennial (sometimes annual) life. An extract (silymarin) from the seeds of this plant has been used for many years in the treatment of a variety of medical problems including liver disorders, gall bladder disorders, high cholesterol and mushroom poisoning (especially from Amanita phalloides - death cap mushrooms).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenus name comes from the Greek name silybon for some thistle-like plant.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"O'Neill Seeds","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50518415606010,"sku":"MILKTHIS","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/0038\/5981\/files\/il_fullxfull.1775306125_o8a1.jpg?v=1790090650","url":"https:\/\/www.theamericangringo.com\/it\/products\/75-milk-thistle-seeds-organic-silybum-marianum","provider":"The American Gringo","version":"1.0","type":"link"}