Asteraceae
Cicerbita alpina
Cicerbita alpina
Also known as Sonchus caeruleus, Agathyrsus caeruleus, Hieracium mulgedium, Sonchus multiflorus
Native Plants · Alpine Perennial · Asteraceae · Blue Sow-Thistle · Cool Climate · Part Shade · Wildflower · European Native · Tall Perennial · Pollinator · Rare
Cicerbita alpina, the Alpine Blue Sow-thistle, is a tall alpine perennial suited to cool, moist garden conditions in partial shade, performing best in temperate European-style climates. Plant it in humus-rich, well-draining soil and water regularly during dry spells, as it does not tolerate drought. It makes a striking back-of-border specimen but requires cool summers to thrive and may struggle in hot or arid regions.
Growing conditions
The details behind the basics
- Daily light
- 4 hours
- Watering
- Water moderately, keeping soil evenly moist but never waterlogged · Every 7-10 days
- Maintenance
- Moderate
- Soil
- loam
- Soil pH
- 6.5–7
- Temperature
- -20°F to 90°F
- Cycle
- Perennial
- Propagation
- Seed, Division
Hardiness
USDA 4a-9b
Form & growth
Mature size and habit
- Mature height
- 12 in – 3 ft
- Spread
- 2 ft
- Spacing
- 24 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Root depth
- Medium
- Flowers
- No
- Foliage
- Medium
Ecology & origin
Where it belongs and what it brings
- Native to
- Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, North European Russi, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, Yugoslavia
- Attracts
- Bees, Butterflies
Sources: trefle
Buy this plant
No nurseries currently list it
No nursery lists Cicerbita alpina right now.