How to Grow Milk Thistle

Milk thistle attracts beneficial insects, such as bumble bees and butterflies.

Milk thistle produces purple flowers all summer, and has lovely milk-white veined leaves.(41)

Wild Milk Thistle is Invasive

Milk thistle is considered by some as "the worst weed in the entire U.S." and a "noxious weed" in Australia. Why? Even though milk thistle is a beneficial plant, it crowds out other plants.(27)

Even if you don't plan on harvesting milk thistle for herbal medicine, you might want to grow some anyway. Why?

Hints for Growing Milk Thistle

Milk thistle is easy to grow in a variety of soil types — including sandy and heavy clay dirt. Although milk thistle is a drought resistant plant, in extremely dry conditions plants should be watered until established.(1)

Things to keep in mind when planting and harvesting milk thistle:(4144)

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