Teasel flower heads in the front garden

They are amazing plants and this one has volunteered, blown in on the wind probably. The garden is quite wild so I think it may have been here for a couple of years to get to this size, over six foot.

They are common in our area as they were a commercial crop in centuries past, as these heads were used in the woollen industry as part of the production of cloth in the mills at the bottom of the valley.

This is a fascinating article about the use of teasels in the ancient woollen industry.