Pollinator plant

Perennial Sow Thistle

Sonchus arvensis

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Common names

38 names · 33 languages
EnglishYour language
+2 more namesShow fewer names
  • Perennial Sow Thistle[1][2]
  • perennial sowthistle[3]
Other languages (32)
Dutch
French
Armenian
  • Իշամառոլ դաշտային[2]
Belarusian
  • Асот палявы[2]
Bulgarian
  • Полски кострец[2]
Catalan
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Czech
  • mléč rolní[2]
Danish
  • Ager-svinemælk[2]
Estonian
  • põld-piimohakas[2]
Faroese
  • akursvínamjólk[2]
Finnish
  • peltovalvatti[2]
German
Hungarian
  • mezei csorbóka[2]
Indonesian
Irish
  • Bleachtán léana[2]
Italian
Lithuanian
  • Dirvinė pienė[2]
Norwegian
  • åkerdylle[2]
Polish
  • Mlecz polny[2]
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
  • Осот полевой[2]
Slovak
  • mlieč roľný[2]
Slovenian
  • njivska škrbinka[2]
Spanish
Swedish
  • åkermolke[2]
Thai
  • ผักกาดภูหิน[2]
Turkish
  • Eşek Marulu[2]
Ukrainian
  • Жовтий осот польовий[2]
Welsh
  • Llaethysgallen y tir âr[2]
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] Sonchus arvensis — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

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

Source records
  • Perennial Sow Thistle — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Acker-Gänsedistel — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • corn sow thistle — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Field Sow Thistle — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Field Sowthistle — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Cardincha — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Laiteron des champs — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Grespino dei campi — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Akkermelkdistel — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Serralha-africana — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
[2] Sonchus arvensis — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

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

Source records
  • Perennial Sow Thistle — results[1].names[1]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Acker-Gänsedistel — results[1].names[11]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • corn sow thistle — results[1].names[33]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Field Sow Thistle — results[1].names[23]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Field Sowthistle — results[1].names[2]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Cardincha — results[1].names[17]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Laiteron des champs — results[1].names[6]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Grespino dei campi — results[1].names[34]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Akkermelkdistel — results[1].names[20]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Serralha-africana — results[1].names[32]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Tempuyung — results[1].names[4]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • 苣蕒菜 — results[1].names[5]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • 苦苣菜 — results[1].names[7]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • mléč rolní — results[1].names[8]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Ager-svinemælk — results[1].names[9]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Осот полевой — results[1].names[10]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • åkerdylle — results[1].names[12]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • põld-piimohakas — results[1].names[13]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • peltovalvatti — results[1].names[14]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Dirvinė pienė — results[1].names[15]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Mlecz polny — results[1].names[16]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • åkermolke — results[1].names[18]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • 苣荬菜 — results[1].names[19]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Իշամառոլ դաշտային — results[1].names[21]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Lletsó — results[1].names[22]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • akursvínamjólk — results[1].names[24]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • njivska škrbinka — results[1].names[25]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Асот палявы — results[1].names[26]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Жовтий осот польовий — results[1].names[27]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • ผักกาดภูหิน — results[1].names[28]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Susai — results[1].names[29]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • mezei csorbóka — results[1].names[30]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Bleachtán léana — results[1].names[31]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Llaethysgallen y tir âr — results[1].names[35]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Полски кострец — results[1].names[36]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • mlieč roľný — results[1].names[37]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
  • Eşek Marulu — results[1].names[38]; taxon id 79156; Sonchus arvensis.
[3] Royal Horticultural Society — common names ↗

Names retained from the referenced botanical profile or table.

Source records
  • perennial sowthistle — Page 3, column 1, row top 472 pt; common-name cell after Sonchus arvensis.; Sonchus arvensis.
Plant references

Source-backed information

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

Taxonomy
Sonchus arvensis 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]
Pollinator guidance
RHS includes Sonchus arvensis in its Plants for Pollinators guidance.

RHS planting guidance. Choose accessible flowers with pollen and nectar; reduced-resource and double-flowered forms may be unsuitable.

Sources [2]
Catalogue ratings

Who this plant supports

Honey bees

Medium suitability
Nectar value Medium
Pollen value Medium
Plant profile

About this plant

Perennial Sow Thistle (Sonchus arvensis) is a herbaceous plant. It flowers from June to September.

Sources and references

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

Sources checked
  1. Catalogue of Life Sonchus arvensis — 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 1240690; ID 4Y969; rank species; status accepted
    • Botanical family: NameUsage.tsv line 1240690; ID 4Y969; rank species; status accepted

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 4.0.

  2. Royal Horticultural Society RHS Plants for Pollinators — Wildflowers

    RHS planting guidance; applicable flower-form restrictions are retained. General recommendations do not measure local nectar or pollen production.

    Supports: Pollinator guidance
    Relevant sections
    • Pollinator guidance: Page 3, column 1, entry Sonchus arvensis (top 472 pt)

    Source checked on .