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Milk Thistle Seeds
About...
Milk Thistle (Silybum Marianum) - Milk Thistle seeds grow easily and produce a hardy biennial that is native to the Mediterranean area and has naturalized throughout North America. It is very impressive as an ornamental herb plant. It is tall and stately with large, mottled, spiny foliage that contains a milky sap-like substance and large, thistle-like heads of rose-pink flowers.MORE HERB OPTIONS
Herb Specifications
SEASON
Biennial
USDA ZONES
5 - 10
HEIGHT
40 - 55 inches
BLOOM SEASON
Late spring to mid summer
BLOOM COLOR
Pink
ENVIRONMENT
Full sun
SOIL TYPE
Grows in any type of soil, pH 6.6 - 7.8
DEER RESISTANT
Yes
LATIN NAME
Silybum Marianum
Planting Directions
TEMPERATURE
55 - 70F
AVERAGE GERM TIME
7 - 14 days
LIGHT REQUIRED
Yes
DEPTH
1/4 - 1/2 inch
SOWING RATE
1 - 2 seeds per plant
MOISTURE
Keep seeds moist until germination
PLANT SPACING
24 - 36 inches
Milk Thistle (Silybum Marianum) - Milk Thistle seeds grow easily and produce a hardy biennial that is native to the Mediterranean area and has naturalized throughout North America. It is very impressive as an ornamental herb plant. It is tall and stately with large, mottled, spiny foliage that contains a milky sap-like substance and large, thistle-like heads of rose-pink flowers. Milk Thistle herb plants do re-seed themselves, so it is recommended to deadhead the flowers before they set seed. Other common names for this herb plant are Mediterranean Milk Thistle, Marian Thistle, St Mary's Thistle and Holy Thistle.
Milk Thistle is a well-known medicinal herb with a long history of use in the treatment of liver and gallbladder ailments. It is the Milk Thistle seeds that are used medicinally, and they contain silymarin which is a flavonoid. The Milk Thistle herb may have a protective and regenerative effect on liver cells. As a nutritional supplement to support liver function, the seeds can be ground and added to hot cereals or other whole grain dishes.
How To Grow Milk Thistle From Herb Seeds: Grow Milk Thistle seeds directly in the herb garden. Prepare a seedbed and sow the herb seeds in the spring when temperatures have warmed. The Milk Thistle plants prefer full sun, but they are not picky about soils. They are also tolerant of dry and wet soils.
NOTE: Cannot be shipped to Washington State. Any order will be canceled.
Flower Specifications
SEASON
Perennial
USDA ZONES
5 - 8
HEIGHT
24 - 36 inches
BLOOM SEASON
Late spring through summer
BLOOM COLOR
Mix
ENVIRONMENT
Full sun
SOIL TYPE
Well-drained, pH 5.8 - 6.8
DEER RESISTANT
Yes
LATIN NAME
Verbascum Phoenicium
Planting Directions
TEMPERATURE
68F
AVERAGE GERM TIME
14 - 21 days
LIGHT REQUIRED
Yes
DEPTH
Do not cover the seed but press into the soil
SOWING RATE
8 seeds per plant
MOISTURE
Keep seeds moist until germination
PLANT SPACING
18 - 24 inches
CARE & MAINTENANCE
Verbascum (Verbascum Phoenicium Hybrids Mix) - This free flowering mix grown from Verbascum seeds will give your garden weeks of lovely colors. Commonly called Purple Mullein, this plant has dark green, crinkly leaves and beautiful spikes of papery-thin, round 5 - petaled blooms in shades of white, rose, and violet. The Purple Mullein plant starts blooming from the bottom of the spike and proceeds upward, opening one by one. Mullein flowers look lovely in a mixed border, and they can bloom from late spring up until the first frost. It is both deer and rabbit resistant, and butterflies love it! Verbascum flowers are excellent for cutting as well. Also considered to be a medicinal herb, the Mullein herb has diuretic, analgesic, expectorant, and antiseptic properties.
How To Grow Mullein From Seed: Plant Mullein seeds indoors 6 - 8 weeks before last frost date. Lightly press the Verbascum flower seeds into the soil, but do not cover with soil since the seeds need light to germinate. Keep constantly moist, not wet, and the herb seeds will germinate in 14 - 21 days. For outdoor sowing, wait until frost danger has passed, and sow Purple Mullein seeds directly into prepared seed bed. Spacing should be about 18 - 24 inches apart. Verbascum Mullein will bloom the first year if the flower seeds are sown early enough in the season. Flowers can be left on to self-seed or can be deadheaded to encourage more blooming.