Sonchus tenerrimus aka Slender Sow Thistle

Sonchus tenerrimus is in the daisy family, also called Asteraceae. People call it slender sowthistle or clammy sow thistle. Kew lists Spain as its native home. Kew also says it has a subtropical climate. The RHS gives its range as Europe, Africa and Asia. Plants For A Future lists records from the Mediterranean region. These cover southern Europe, North Africa and parts of western Asia. Its range also includes Eritrea, Mauritania and South Africa. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

This plant can grow as an annual or a perennial. Plants For A Future gives a height of 2.6 feet (0.8 metres). The sources give no width or time to reach full size. They give no leaf or stem details for this species. The RHS gives such details only for the whole genus. These broad traits do not prove this species’ exact form. The sources give no clear account of its fruit.

Each flower has both male and female organs. Plants For A Future says insects pollinate the flowers. The sources do not say when this species blooms. In Israel, it grows on shaded walls and among rocks. Plants For A Future lists light shade and sites without shade as suitable. It also lists sand, loam and clay as suitable soils. The soil can range from slightly acid to slightly alkaline. The plant prefers moist soil.

Plants For A Future lists garden beds as a place to grow it. It says to sow seed in spring where the plants will grow. Its notes stress how little is known about growing this species. It might grow outdoors in mild parts of Britain. But the source does not state this with any firm trust. The notes draw in part on the needs of the genus. They give no tested limit for how much cold this species can bear. The sources support no hardiness zone.

People eat the leaves raw, including in salads. Plants For A Future rates its food value one out of five. It lists no known hazards, but this does not prove pet safety. The source lists no known uses as medicine or for other needs. It rates both groups of uses at zero. Its entry does not flag a risk of becoming a weed. The sources name no pests or diseases that affect this species.