Organic Blessed Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) is a hardy annual or biennial known for its striking purple blooms and marbled green leaves. This resilient ornamental adds unique texture and color to garden beds and borders, while also attracting hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.
The plant’s upright growth habit and bold appearance make it a showpiece in pollinator gardens and naturalized areas. Blessed Milk Thistle grows easily in well-drained soil and sunny conditions, requiring little maintenance once established. It is drought-tolerant and ideal for eco-friendly or organic landscapes.
Features
- Certified Organic and Non-GMO seeds
- Produces showy purple flower heads with marbled green foliage
- Attracts pollinators such as hummingbirds and bees
- Drought-tolerant and low-maintenance once established
- Suitable for borders, meadows, and container growing
- Excellent for sunny, well-drained locations
Specifications
- Scientific Name: Silybum marianum
- Common Name (US): Blessed Milk Thistle
- Plant Type: Annual or biennial ornamental
- Foliage Color: Green with white marbling
- Flower Color: Bright purple
- Height: 3–5 ft (90–150 cm)
- Spread: 2–3 ft (60–90 cm)
- Bloom Season: Late spring to mid-summer
- Light Requirements: Full sun
- Soil Type: Well-drained, moderately fertile soil
- Soil pH: 6.0–7.5
- Watering Needs: Moderate; drought-tolerant after establishment
- Temperature Range: 65–85°F (18–29°C)
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–10
- Days to Germination: 10–20 days
- Seed Depth: ¼ inch (6 mm)
- Plant Spacing: 18–24 inches (45–60 cm)
- GMO Status: Non-GMO
- Certification: Organic
- Maintenance Level: Easy
- Pollinator Friendly: Yes
- Life Cycle: Annual or biennial
Planting Guide
- When to Sow: Direct sow outdoors in early spring after frost danger has passed or start indoors 4–6 weeks before the last frost.
- Seed Depth: Plant seeds ¼ inch deep in well-drained soil.
- Light Requirement: Full sun for best growth and flowering.
- Watering: Water regularly until established; reduce watering once mature.
- Transplanting: If starting indoors, transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost.
- Maintenance: Remove spent blooms to encourage continuous flowering.
- Harvest: Collect seeds once flower heads dry and turn brown.