267: Teasel (Dipsacus)

I've been wanting to take a macro of one of these for ages!

A favourite amongst wildflower lovers, teasels make fine, architectural plants in the garden. Spiny flower heads rise out of the prickly rosette of leaves in summer. These are covered in pinkish purple or white flowers in mid- to late summer. They then dry to an attractive shade of brown and make fine dried flowers for arrangements. Teasels are biennials so they need to be sown in late spring where they are to flower the following year. Beware that once established they will self-seed freely.