Teasel

Did you know

• For over 2,000 years, dried teasel heads were the medieval textile industry's only tool for raising the nap on woolen cloth—'fuller's teasel' gave its name to the family business.
• The leaves form perfect cups around the stem that collect rainwater, which drowns insects and may be slowly digested by the plant—teasel is now considered a partial carnivore.
• Its bristly seedheads are a winter goldfinch magnet—a single dried head can hold enough seed to feed a flock for hours.
• In Victorian textile mills of West Yorkshire, teasel was so valuable it was grown as a major commercial crop—no metal device ever quite matched its flexibility on fine wool.
• The flowers open in a strange ring around the middle of the head first, then bloom upward and downward simultaneously over several weeks—watching it is like watching a slow purple zipper.

Color meanings

Uses

• Cut and dried flowers
• Wildlife gardens
• Winter interest
• Textile crafts