"Spider" wrote in message
...

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"Sacha" wrote in message
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On 2009-07-04 00:03:13 +0100, "Christina Websell"
said:


"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote in message
...

If we are talking thistles, what is mine? It's 8 feet high,
multistemmed,
normal purple flowers just coming out. It's so big and wide I might
have to
cut it back so I can get down the garden.
My friend thinks it should be in the Guinness Book of Records.

Tina

Sounds like it could be a cardoon which is the cousin of an artichoke
and is mainly sold now for ornamental purposes. 8' high and wide sounds
just right. for Cynara cardunculus.


It's not 8 foot wide! merely 3 feet or so. I had a look at some web
images of cardoons and the bracts are not right, nor are the leaves.
Thanks for the idea though.
I think it must be a well-nourished spear thistle. I sprinkled the bed
with dried chicken manure last year, not the bought stuff, from my own
chickens.

Tina


Could it be Onopardon?

No. It's not woolly. I have looked at all thistle possibilities. It has
yellow spines on the end of the leaves and on the bracts. It's a huge
spear thistle.

Tina