Blessed Thistle

Sow indoors in pots (one seed per pot) in early spring, or directly into final growing position in late spring once risk of frost has passed. Germination normally takes 2-3 weeks. Transplant or thin with a spacing of approx. 60cm between plants.

Like its Asteracea cousins, Milk Thistle and Artichoke, Blessed Thistle is a bitter herb used to stimulate the flow and function of the digestive juices. Especially activating the saliva, gastric acid and liver the bitter sesquiterpene compounds come to the fore. Bitters like this, also found in wormwood, help to digest rich food and fats so its no wonder that blessed thistle has found a place in some famous digestif liqueuers, such as Bendictine. As a hot tea it has been used after a meal but also for a seasonal fever and, with some honey, to clear an infectious cough. It has also become popular for enhancing the flow of breast milk, although this area of herbalism requires further study. However, do not use if pregnant.

Harvest the aerial parts when it comes into flower early in the summer. Cut it into manageasble sized pieces and dry at 40C for a day. Store in airtight container.

To make a tea use 1-2 tsp in a cup of freshly boiled water infused for 15 minutes. Good taken with fennel and aniseed for all the above uses.

Useful as a poultice for surface wounds.

One potential downside of the sesquiterpene lactones is that they can act as mild to potent allergens for susceptible individuals. Reported reactions have ranged from varying degrees of allergic contact dermatitis all the way up to severe anaphylaxis requiring emergency treatment. Because these compounds are so widely distributed among the Asteraceae, cross reactions can easily occur. A person might become sensitized to the sesquiterpene lactones in one plant (e.g., Ragweeds – Ambrosia spp.) and subsequently will have a reaction to a novel species (e.g., Chamomile or Yarrow) in the family. This is why the herbalist should be cautious when using Asteraceae herbs with people who have a tendency toward respiratory and contact allergies or problems with chronic eczema / atopic dermatitis.