Onopordum acanthium

Regular price: $18.99
Regular price
Sale price: $18.99

Shipping calculated at checkout.

1 gal 4" pot

ships spring 2025

Scotch Thistle is not appropriate for small gardens, but makes an excellent feature plant if you have the space. It forms a rosette of enormous felty, spike covered leaves in its first year. In its second year, it grows to a towering seven foot high, blooms prolifically, and seeds freely.

Zones: 4 to 8
Family: Asteraceae
Type: Perennial
Height: 36 to 84 in.
Width: 36 to 48 in.
Exposure: full sun
Conditions: dry, average
Bloom Time: July to September
Bloom Color: purple
Native Range: Europe to Central Asia

We will not ship this plant to the following states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming

Special Characteristics

Deer-resistant
Salt tolerant
Snail Resistant
Architectural

image credits

Image 1 (bloom) H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Image 2 (foliage) Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Image 3 (form) Dellex, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Image 4 (blooms) CSIRO, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Image 5 (in garden) Gilles Clément, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons

Ordering information

Preorders

You may place your order anytime to reserve plants for spring 2025 shipment. If you place multiple orders, we will combine plants into one box (or as many as needed) and any extra shipping charges will be refunded when we ship.

We will begin shipping plants as soon as plants begin to emerge from dormancy in spring. Woodies will likely begin shipping in April. Perennials will likely begin shipping in May. If ordering multiple varieties, we will hold until all plants are ready to ship together. If you would like to receive plants sooner please reach out.

We will check in with you a week before shipping to make sure you receive your plants at a time that is convenient for you.

Shipping

Live plants ship in spring and fall only. Plants may ship dormant, depending on variety and season. Shipping costs are most reasonable when bundling like size plants.

4-inch: 1-6 plants ship for $15.00 / 7-13 plants ship for $18.00 / 14-30 plants ship for $40.00
1-gal: 1-2 plants ship for $18.00 / 3-4 plants ship for $25.00 / 5-6 plants ship for $40.00
trees & shrubs: $27.00-$40.00 each, height dependent
seeds: $6.75 or free with orders over $15.00

We regret that we cannot ship internationally or to the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, or WA.

Nursery pick up

Plants can be collected from the nursery Monday through Sunday from 10am-4pm in Spring, Summer, and Fall. We prefer 24 hour notice to get your order together and will email you when ready for collection.

If you place a SPRING 2025 PREORDER, we will contact you in spring when your plants are ready for collection. Woodies will likely become available for collection in April. Perennials will likely become available in May. If ordering multiple varieties, we will hold until all plants are ready to be collected together.

Plant Sizes

We most commonly use the following pot sizes for perennials:

4-inch pot: 3.5" H x 3.5" W x 3.5" D
2-quart pot: 6" H x 5.25" W x 5.25" D
1-gallon pot: 6.87" H x 8" Dia (this is a true one gallon pot, not the smaller 'trade' one gallon pot used by many nurseries)

Check out our illustrated pot size guide here.

Representative trees & shrubs are photographed in their pots and posted on each plant page.

Sustainability

Sustainability is at the heart of what we do at The Old Dairy. We grow all of our plants outdoors without the use of chemicals, fertilizers, carbon fuels, or peat.

Many of our perennials are grown in the ground and dug upon order (this is especially true for larger sizes). This practice allows us to grow stronger, healthier plants using native soil, and ultimately reduces our impact on the environment.

Our open-pollinated seeds are collected from plants in our mother beds, which have never been treated with chemicals or sprays of any kind.

Read all about our sustainable practices here.