Milk Thistle

Milk Thistle is a hardy heirloom medicinal herb originally from the Mediterranean and now naturalized across Europe, North America, and Australia. It is a low-maintenance pollinator attractant, and its seeds are the main ingredient in homemade teas and tinctures traditionally used to support liver health. Each flower can produce up to 190 seeds.

At a glance

• Botanical name: Silybum marianum
• Type: Heirloom medicinal herb, open-pollinated, non-GMO
• Origin: Mediterranean, now widely naturalized
• Sun: Full sun
• Seeds: Up to 190 per flower
• Use: Teas, tinctures, pollinator planting

Best for

• Homemade herbal teas and tinctures
• Medicinal and apothecary gardens
• Pollinator and low-maintenance plantings
• Seed saving and self-sowing patches
• Naturalized or wild garden areas

How to grow

Direct sow in spring in full sun with well-drained soil. Milk thistle is drought tolerant and undemanding once established. Allow flowers to mature and dry, then collect the seeds for teas and tinctures, leaving some to self-sow if desired.

About MIgardener

MIgardener is a Michigan-based family company offering affordable, non-GMO heirloom seeds and gardening supplies, with a mission to make growing your own food simple and accessible.