Thistles are a plant I’ve always found attractive, despite their prickles. Maybe the purple flowers appeal to my distant (and uncertain) Scottish ancestry. According to legend an invading Norse army was attempting to sneak up at night upon a Scottish army’s encampment. During this operation one barefoot Norseman had the misfortune to step on a thistle, causing him to cry out in pain, thus alerting the Scots to the presence of the invaders.
Thistles look soft and appealing at this time of year when the thistledown protects the seeds under a silky coat. These ones are maturing undisturbed along a track at Waimairi Beach.
The thistle is the favourite food of Winnie the Pooh’s friend, Eeyore.
“Scots people thank their lucky thistle
which led to Norsemen’s swift dismissal.”
I took a fluffy thistle photo around this time Ruth. The air will be full of the fluffy seeds very soon! We need plenty of goats and donkeys to eat them.
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There are none in my garden (thistles, that is – no goats or donkeys either), but I suspect they’ll be colonising some of the empty sections nearby.
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