The Teasel, Dipsacus fullonum, is a tall, distinctive looking and handsome wildflower found throughout the British isles wherever nature has been given free reign to do whatever it likes, for this reason some refer to it not as a wildflower, but as a weed.
In the first year of its growth it is a fairly ordinary and unremarkable looking plant, growing into a flattish rosette of sawtooth edged leaves. It is in second year of growth that it comes of age and becomes the familiar looking plant that we all know and love (or in the case of gardeners and farmers, hate!), for this is when it sends up lofty, prickly stems which by high summer will bear purple, cone-shaped flowers. These are not flowers in the traditional sense, and their spiky purple heads can appear somewhat out of place in the British countryside to those unfamiliar with them.
Carnivorous cups
The first part of the Teasels scientific name; Dipsacus, derives from the Greek word for thirst; dipsa, refering to the cup shaped part of the plant where the leaves meet the stem (see image below). According to different sources, these are either beneficial for insects, providing a source of water, or serve a completely different purpose, drowning insects instead, which then decompose providing a valuable source of nutrients for the plant, which would make the Teasel a carnivore!
But for the most part the Teasel is valuable for insects, being very popular with pollinators such as Bumblebees, Hoverflies, moths and butterflies, such as the Brimstone, which has a particular liking for the flowers of this plant.
As autumn arrives
As autumn arrives the flowerheads of the Teasel dry into seedheads in various, attractive shades of russet, although the plant may be dying now it still keeps its dignity and tall stature, holding the seed heads high, where they will be spotted by the hungry eyes of birds stocking up for winter, especially those of the Goldfinch, flocks of which (called charms) will strip a Teasel head bare in a matter of minutes, using their forcep-like beaks.
Historical uses
The spiny heads of Teasels have been used throughout history to raise, or ‘tease’ the nap on woollen cloth, in fact their common name comes from this use. As they are gentler than any metal comb designed for this purpose could be they are still sought after by home crafters and artisanal weavers, the plants importance is reflected in its use on the coat of arms of the Worshipful Clothworkers Company of London, which was granted in 1530 and proudly displays a Golden Teasel head.
I miss the heath, its yellow furze,
Molehills and rabbit tracks that lead
Through besom-ling and teasel burrs
That spread a wilderness indeed,
The woodland oaks and all below
That their white-powdered branches shield,
The mossy paths- the very crow
Croaked music in my native field.
From ‘On Leaving the Cottage of my Birth’ by John Clare (1793-1864)
A B-H
Northwest Nature and History 