This deep crimson thistle is showing wine-coloured flower heads above surrounding plantings in the Stream border.
This striking member of the Asteraceae (daisy family) can grow to 1.5m in height when grown in sun or partial shade in moist soil, and it is this affinity with water which has given rise to the common name ‘brook thistle’. The name Cirsium derives from the Greek kirsos, meaning swollen vein, and this species was used as a treatment for swollen veins. Erect stems emerge from a basal rosette of narrow, spiny leaves. The spherical flower heads are comprised of many tiny, tubular flowers which are nectar-rich and highly attractive to bees.