Pollinator plant

milk thistle

Silybum marianum

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Common names

52 names · 31 languages
EnglishYour language
+4 more namesShow fewer names
Other languages (30)
Dutch
French
Afrikaans
  • boerkwadissel[3]
  • Boerkwasdissel[3]
  • gevlekte Silybum[3]
+1 more nameShow fewer names
  • Mariendissel[3]
Arabic
  • بُك[3]
  • خرفيش مريمي[3]
  • سلبين مريمي[3]
Catalan
  • Card marià[3]
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Czech
  • ostropestřec mariánský[3]
Danish
  • Marietidsel[3]
Estonian
  • harilik maarjaohakas[3]
Finnish
  • maarianohdake[3]
German
  • Echte Mariendistel[2]
  • Gewöhnliche Mariendistel[2]
  • Mariendistel[1][3]
Greek
  • Γαιδουράγκαθο[3]
Hebrew
  • גדילן מצוי[3]
Hungarian
  • máriatövis[3]
  • szúrós máriatövis[3]
Italian
Japanese
  • オオアザミ[3]
Lithuanian
  • Tikrasis margainis[3]
Norwegian
  • mariatistel[3]
Polish
  • Ostropest plamisty[3]
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
  • Расторопша пятнистая[3]
Slovak
  • pestrec mariánsky[3]
Slovenian
  • pegasti badelj[3]
Spanish
+2 more namesShow fewer names
Swedish
  • mariatistel[3]
Turkish
  • devedikeni[3]
  • Meryemana Dikeni[3]
Ukrainian
  • Розторопша плямиста[3]
Welsh
  • Ysgallen Fair[3]
Sources & name notes (3)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Catalogue language labels are reviewed separately from botanical source records.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Silybum marianum — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy. This is a common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • milk thistle — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Mariendistel — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Blessed Milk-Thistle — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Disseld — results[0].names[36]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Marian thistle — results[0].names[45]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Mary's Thistle — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • variegated thistle — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • cardo asnal — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Cardo de María — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Cardo lechero — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • cardo mariano — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • chardon-Marie — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • cardo mariano — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Mariadistel — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • cardo-de-santa-maria — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • cardo-mariano — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
[2] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Silybum marianum ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Echte Mariendistel (DE); Milk Thistle — VernacularName.tsv, line 140937; taxon 6YPNF.
  • Gewöhnliche Mariendistel — VernacularName.tsv, line 140938; taxon 6YPNF.
  • St. Mary's Thistle (EN); Caro mariano (ES) — VernacularName.tsv, line 140939; taxon 6YPNF.
[3] Silybum marianum — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • milk thistle — results[15].names[1]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Mariendistel — results[15].names[11]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Blessed Milk-Thistle — results[15].names[35]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Disseld — results[15].names[36]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Marian thistle — results[15].names[45]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Mary's Thistle — results[15].names[37]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • variegated thistle — results[15].names[3]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • cardo asnal — results[15].names[25]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Cardo de María — results[15].names[16]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Cardo lechero — results[15].names[17]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • cardo mariano — results[15].names[5]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • chardon-Marie — results[15].names[8]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • cardo mariano — results[15].names[6]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Mariadistel — results[15].names[13]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • cardo-de-santa-maria — results[15].names[19]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • cardo-mariano — results[15].names[4]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • גדילן מצוי — results[15].names[7]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • ostropestřec mariánský — results[15].names[9]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Card marià — results[15].names[10]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Marietidsel — results[15].names[12]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • mariatistel — results[15].names[14]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Расторопша пятнистая — results[15].names[15]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • maarianohdake — results[15].names[18]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • سلبين مريمي — results[15].names[20]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • خرفيش مريمي — results[15].names[21]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Tikrasis margainis — results[15].names[22]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Ostropest plamisty — results[15].names[23]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • pestrec mariánsky — results[15].names[24]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • オオアザミ — results[15].names[26]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • harilik maarjaohakas — results[15].names[27]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • mariatistel — results[15].names[28]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • 水飞蓟 — results[15].names[29]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Розторопша плямиста — results[15].names[30]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • boerkwadissel — results[15].names[31]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Boerkwasdissel — results[15].names[32]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • gevlekte Silybum — results[15].names[33]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Mariendissel — results[15].names[34]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • pegasti badelj — results[15].names[38]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Γαιδουράγκαθο — results[15].names[39]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • 水飛薊 — results[15].names[40]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • máriatövis — results[15].names[41]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • szúrós máriatövis — results[15].names[42]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • devedikeni — results[15].names[43]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Armurariu — results[15].names[44]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Ysgallen Fair — results[15].names[46]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • 乳蓟 — results[15].names[47]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • بُك — results[15].names[48]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
  • Meryemana Dikeni — results[15].names[49]; taxon id 52586; Silybum marianum.
Plant references

Source-backed information

Published observations for this plant. Each reference supports the information beside it.

Taxonomy
Silybum marianum is an accepted species in Catalogue of Life.

Taxonomic treatment in the August 2026 release; the catalogue record name is preserved.

Sources [1]
Botanical family
Asteraceae

Family in the cited taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Native range
Macaronesia, Medit. to C. Asia and India, Ethiopia.

Explicit native locality records in Kew WCVP v16; introduced and doubtful distributions excluded. Continent conversion follows the documented geographic mapping.

Sources [2]
Catalogue ratings

Who this plant supports

Honey bees

Medium suitability
Nectar value Medium
Pollen value Medium
Plant profile

About this plant

milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is a herbaceous plant. It flowers from July to August.

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Catalogue of Life Silybum marianum — Catalogue of Life COL26.8

    COL26.8 (2026-08-20). Contributing checklist: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World. This is taxonomic evidence, not an independent ecological study.

    Supports: TaxonomyBotanical family
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: NameUsage.tsv line 2463541; ID 6YPNF; rank species; status accepted
    • Botanical family: NameUsage.tsv line 2463541; ID 6YPNF; rank species; status accepted

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 4.0.

  2. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Silybum marianum — Kew WCVP native distribution

    Native distribution and taxonomic treatment from the official WCVP v16 export (4 June 2026). The link opens the corresponding POWO taxon. Source rows are retained in the native-range audit archive.

    Supports: Native range
    Relevant sections
    • Native range: WCVP v16; wcvp_names.csv lines 833715; wcvp_distribution.csv native locality lines 1476097, 1476098, 1476099, 1476100, 1476101, 1476102, 1476103, 1476104, 1476105, 1476106, 1476107, 1476109, 1476110, 1476111, 1476121, 1476122, 1476123, 1476124, 1476125, 1476126, 1476127, 1476128, 1476129, 1476130, 1476135, 1476136, 1476137, 1476138, 1476139, 1476140, 1476141, 1476142, 1476143, 1476144, 1476145, 1476146, 1476147, 1476148, 1476149, 1476150, 1476151, 1476152, 1476153, 1476166, 1476167, 1476168, 1476169

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.