Common Sowthistle
Sonchus oleraceus
- Native to:
- Albania, Algeria, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Burkina, Canary Is., Cape Verde, Chad, Corse, Cyprus, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, Djibouti, East Aegean Is., Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guam, Gulf States, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Kriti, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Oman, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Selvagens, Sicilia, Sinai, Socotra, Somalia, Spain, Sudan-South Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, Ukraine, Virgin Islands, Yemen
Christian Ferrer
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Genus:
- Sonchus
- Species:
- Sonchus oleraceus
- USDA Symbol:
- SOOL
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 150 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- mar,apr,may,jun,jul,aug,sep,oct,nov
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Eversmann's rustic (Actebia fennica), nutmeg (Discestra trifolii), Southern armyworm (Spodoptera eridania), Western yellowstriped armyworm (Spodoptera praefica)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, butterflies
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- commonly found in disturbed soils
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–14 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily without pretreatment. Light may enhance germination.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI