This year I bought some "Cirsium, pink and rose beauty" seeds from Thompson and Morgan, since they looked quite pretty in the catalogue. A month or so ago I found out that "Cirsium" is just a type of thistle. So I have a large flowering thistle. Or rather, I have a dozen large flowering thistles ready to plant. I intend to consign them to the compost pile, since I have no place where a flowering thistle would be appropriate. I get along well with my neighbours and their children. But perhaps I misunderstand something. Has anyone grown this plant? What is it like?
You could grow it as a flower, but be careful to pick off all the flowerheads as they finish, before the seed matures. That way you won't inflict them on anyone else. Cirsium is a large genus (about 200 species), and only a few of them (notably Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense and Spear Thistle C. vulgare) are invasive. Some others do make nice ornamental plants. Did a search, and found out that 'Pink And Rose Beauty' is a cultivar of Cirsium japonicum; this is listed as invasive in California, but not elsewhere in North America.
There's a house round the corner that has what looks like a giant thistle in the garden. It is absolutely huge and i'd love one. Would that be a Cirsium too?
