General Description/History

This spiny dried flower looks a bit like a conical thistle. It has long spiny stems and leaves, topped by a conical flowerhead. This flowerhead is made up of hundreds of small flowers, and is about 4-10 cm long and 3-5 cm broad. At the base, the flowerhead has a whorl of spiny bracts which flex upwards like curved spines. Immature flowerheads have a greenish tinge, but the dried forms are either a sandy colour, or can be dyed in any shade.

In fresh teasel, which are rarely found, the first flowers begin opening in a belt around the middle of the flowerhead, which is most unusual, and then continue opening toward the top and bottom at the same time, forming two narrow belts as the flowering progresses.

Teasel is mostly grown under cover in the cooler areas near Melbourne, Sydney, in Tasmania and in SA and WA.

What to look for

• Strong straight stems;
• Undamaged flowerheads.

Flower Care

1. If dry do not place in water.
2. Split bunches and strip leaves from the lower half of each stem.

Interesting Facts about this Flower

Fuller’s Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) was once widely used as a comb in cloth manufacturing, particularly with wool. The dried flower heads were attached to spindles, wheels, or cylinders called teasel frames, to raise the nap on fabrics (that is, to tease the fibres) prior to spinning.

Botanical Name: Dipsacus fullonum, D. ferox or D. sylvestris

Common Names: Teazle, Teazel

Stem Length: 30 – 80 cm

Country of Origin: Europe, Asia, Nth Africa

Available Colours: Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, White, Yellow

Season: Summer,Autumn,Winter,Spring

Availability: January,February,March,April,May,June,July,August,September,October,November,Decemeber