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Taxon  Report  
Sonchus asper  (L.) Hill
Spiny sowthistle
Sonchus asper is an annual herb that is not native to California.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Subspecies and Varieties:
Genus: Sonchus
Family: Asteraceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands:
Arid West: Equally likely to occur in wetlands and non wetlands
Mountains, Valleys and Coast: Occurs usually in non wetlands, occasionally in wetlands

Habitat: disturbed

Communities: wetland-riparian, weed, characteristic of disturbed places

Name Status:
Accepted by PLANTS + POWO

Alternate Names:
PLANTSSonchus asper ssp. glaucescens
PLANTSSonchus nymanii
Information about  Sonchus asper from other sources
USDA PLANTS Profile (SOAS)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

[Wikipedia] Europe, Africa, Asia Native, Weed Elsewhere, Edible Leaves: Sonchus asper is native to Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. It has also become naturalized on other continents and is regarded as a noxious, invasive weed in many places. Its edible leaves make a palatable and nutritious leaf vegetable.[7][8][9][10][11] (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 01/25/2025).