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Tag Archives: Carlina vulgaris

225/365 Carline thistle

13 Tuesday Aug 2019

Posted by sconzani in flowers, nature, wildflowers

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Tags

British wildflowers, Carlina vulgaris, Carline thistle, thistle

190813 carline thistle

The Carline thistle (Carlina vulgaris): in the summer months it looks like an everlasting flower; in the autumn it glistens silver and gold.

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Glistening silver and gold

22 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by sconzani in autumn, flowers, nature, wildflowers

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

British flora, Carlina vulgaris, Carline thistle, everlasting flowers, seedheads, seeds, thistle, thistle seeds

181122 carline thistle (2)

They glisten silver and gold in the late autumn sunshine these Carline thistles, with their thick fringe of papery bracts and heads of soft golden down. I blogged about the flowers last year; now here are the ‘everlasting’ seed heads that can be seen all through the chilly months of winter.

181122 carline thistle (1)

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The everlasting thistle

18 Friday Aug 2017

Posted by sconzani in flowers, nature, wildflowers

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

British flora, British wildflowers, Carlina vulgaris, Carline thistle, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, everlasting flower, Everlasting thistle, thistle

My new favourite flower resembles something you might find in a dried arrangement rather than a flower in full bloom but such is the look of the Carline thistle (Carlina vulgaris).

170818 Carline thistle (1)

It grows best on calcareous soils in Wales and England – they are thriving on the dry, stony grassland areas at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park. It’s spiny, as you would expect from a thistle, but is not a tall plant, probably no more than knee-height, and it sends up its spiky flower heads on solitary stems that have between 2 and 5 flowers on top.

170818 Carline thistle (2)
170818 Carline thistle (3)
170818 Carline thistle (4)

At first glance, you might think the flowers were dead but, if you look closer, you can see that they’re just like any other daisy-like flower, except for their brownish hues. When the sun touches them, they positively glow, and when the weather is cold and wet, they close up. The flowers can be seen from July through to September, after which they will dry out and often last right through the winter. I’m thinking that once they finish flowering, I might have to snaffle a couple to enjoy at home over the winter.

170818 Carline thistle (5)

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About me

sconzani

sconzani

I'm a writer and photographer; researcher and blogger; birder and nature lover; countryside rambler and city strider; volunteer and biodiversity recorder.

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