A humble weed

but the emblem of the Scottish nation.

The prickly-leaved, pink or purple-flowered 'Scotch' thistle is perhaps the most identifiable symbol of all things Scottish, along with tartan.

Legend has it that a sleeping party of Scots warriors were saved from ambush by an invading Norse army when one of the attackers trod on a thistle with his bare feet. His anguished cries raised the alarm. The roused Scots defeated the invaders and thus the thistle was adopted as the symbol of Scotland.

The thistle has been the national emblem of Scotland since the reign of Alexander III (1249-1286) and was used on silver coins issued by James III in 1470.

Thistle flowers are favourite nectar sources of many species of butterfly and are attractive to the North American goldfinch.

The thistle is Eeyore's favourite food in Winnie the Pooh.