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Sonchus palmensis, or La Palma Sow Thistle, is a medium sized shrub of the Asteraceae family. It is endemic, or only native to, La Palma Island in the Canary Island archipelago in the Macaronesian region off of the western coast of Africa. Macaronesia a collection of four archipelagos in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the continents of Europe and Africa.

The La Palma Sow Thistle is the largest thistle in the Asteraceae family. It is closely related to dandelions (Taraxicum ssp.), but unlike those small herbaceous plants, S. palmensis reaches a height of 4 to 6 ft, with (what kind of?) leaves up to 3 ft long. Its large bright yellow flower heads, which look like a bouquet of dandelions, bloom in the spring.

​Despite its limited native range on La Palma Island, S. palmensis is relatively common there and the population is considered stable. Its conservation status is rated as of “Least Concern.”

​Sonchus palmensis is particularly well suited to grow here in San Francisco as its native range has a quite similar climate. Though most of the rain on La Palma occurs during the winter, S. palmensis occurs at elevations between 650 and 3280 ft, in areas that experience cool foggy days in the summer, just as we see here in the Bay Area.

Location:

Mediterranean Garden – 28E, 28F