A Teasel In Rime

Day 82: Dipsacus fullonum, the Common Teasel, is a weed and yet a favorite for dried arrangements. The heads, often occurring in groups of three or four, may be up to three inches in height, supported on thorny stalks which may reach six feet or more. It resembles a thistle when in bloom with purple florets opening first toward the base of the cone, but it is the end-of-the-season Teasel most coveted by the florists and hobbyists who have inadvertently assisted in its spread.

Each tiny floret forms a seed, many of which remain caught in the cone. Gatherers should be cautioned to place bags over the heads until the seeds can be shaken or raked out to be disposed of in an environmentally secure way. For all its beauty, Fuller's Teasel is an invasive plant and care must be taken not to transfer the seeds to new areas.