Location of Blessed Thistle

The earliest descriptions of Blessed Thistle in the English language is from John Gerard. He describes it as “Carduus Benedictus is found everywhere in Lemnos, an island of Greece, and also in Languedock; and is an herb growing in our English gardens. As Carduus Benedictus is better, so is it also hot and dry in the second degree, and also withal cleansing and opening.”

Gaea and Shandor Weiss have a great description of Blessed Thistle plant uses: “In the middle ages holy thistle and angelica were the two most common medicinal herbs in Europe. It is a common wayside herb in the Eastern U.S. and in parts of the Southwest. Holy thistle is a hardy plant. You can sow it directly into its permanent bed in early spring. Plant the seed 6 inches apart and ¼ inch deep. It thrives in good garden soil, with spring additions of well-rotted compost. The plant is ready for gathering in early summer. One third of its growth can be cut back at that time. Often, three or four such cuttings can be taken during the growing season, so a small patch of holy thistle will produce enough of the foliage to last all year. Harvest the plant before it flowers each time, so that it does not have the opportunity to self-sow and become a garden pest.”

Bruno Vonarburg remarks that it grows “wild in the Mediterranean to a thousand meters. In Europe it is found in fields and herb gardens.” The Flora website describes, “Blessed Thistle, Cnicus benedictus L. [Fam. Asteraceae}, is a low annual plant, up to 40cm, with thistle-like appearance.”

Dr. John Christopher describes it as the “heal-all of thistles can be used as a substitute. Blessed Thistle stem is erect, branched, round, rough, and pliable. The leaves are 2 to 3 inches long, grayish-green, brittle, thin and somewhat hairy, oblong and lanceolate, lance-shaped, with wavy-lobed (jagged) and spiny margins (prickles on edges). The flowers are yellow, one inch long, one inch broad, situated on branch ends and tipped with long yellowish red spines. The fruit are long, cylindrical seed, finely ribbed longitudinally, hairs or beard at top. The root is white and parted into strings.”

Paul Schauenberg describes Blessed Thistle as follows: “Compositae Family. Southern Europe, Western Asia. An annual plant. Height - 30-40 cm (12-16 inches). Stem - rough, pubescent, leaves large, lobed, spiny. Flower - head terminal, hairy, with creamy white flowers. Flowering season - June to August. Active constituents - The plant contains a bitter compound (cnicine), a sesquiterpencid lactone; tannin; mucilage; and a small quantity of an essential oil.”

The book Kraeuterbuch describes some properties and how it should be prepared: “From the nature, power and properties of cardobenedicten-The bitter taste of this herb shows enough of the warm and dry nature( and this thistle has the praise over all others as many uses inwardly and outwardly and has a large and healing power. It should be dried in the shade…”

Richard Willfort from Austria says that it has “aromatic smell and bitter taste, blooms June to August. It is the above ground portion.” Pahlow from Germany is a pharmacist and an herbalist. He says that it is best collected at blooming time.

Thistles in general, are safe and therapeutic and many others are or were used. Some are described by Dr Christopher: “Sister plants. Common Carline Thistle (Carlina Vulg), Common Star Thistle (Centaurea Calcitropa), Dwarf Thistle (Carduus Acaulis), Scotch Thistle (Conopordum Acanthium), Milk Thistle (Silybum Marianum), St. Mary’s Thistle (Carduus Marinnus).”