Easy to Grow Plant for Wildlife: Cirsium heterophyllum

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This is a beautiful native thistle known by the delightful common name of the melancholy thistle that I first saw many years ago growing in the Yorkshire Dales National Park shooting up through a collapsed section of dry stone wall. If you like the classic thistle flower, and most especially if you like the idea of growing plants that are good for attracting wildlife then this should be one to consider. You do need to contain it within the area that it's growing in as it's extremely enthusiastic, the roots are very shallow but there are lots of them and it only needs a small section of root to sprout. We have it growing in a self-contained bed where it can't spread but there are other methods you could use to contain its spread. It needs a sunny position but will take very light shade.
I love how the purple intensity of the flower heads glow in the low light at the end of the day. It also has a much longer flowering period than some of the ornamental thistles you might also know such as Cirsium rivulare which flowers earlier in the year (late May through to June) Cirsium heterophyllum flowers from mid June and typically continues to flower until August. I've grown it in large pots before if space is limited but you'd love to grow something to act as a bee and butterfly magnet!