Teasel

Surely the most elegant seedhead in our native flora. This is Dipsacus fullonum, Wild Teasel, sometimes called Fuller's Teasel as the prickly head and stem were used as a comb in the wool textile industry. It is a plant that is as beautiful in winter as in summer, and it is equally beneficial to wildlife in both seasons - the flowers are very attractive to bees and other insects in summer; the seedheads provide winter food for birds like Goldfinches. It is one of the plants that help to make many waste areas and 'brownfield sites' superb for wildlife.