Silybum marianum is a robust (usually biennial) thistle forming a rosette of large, spiny dark green leaves with prominent white veins, and has purple flower-heads with spiny bracts, in the second year.

White veins on leaves

A photo of the whole plant, showing leaves as well as flowers.  (RPR)

Disturbed ground.

Flowering late May to August.

Usually biennial.

Occasional and mainly concentrated in the south east of England.

Scarce in Leicestershire and Rutland, but increasing; naturalised garden escapes may occur.

In the Flora of Leicestershire (Primavesi and Evans 1988) it was found in 2 of the 617 tetrads, but was not recorded in the Flora of Rutland (Messenger 1971).

In the current checklist (Jeeves 2011) it is listed as Alien (archaeophyte); disturbed ground; rare.

It is listed on the current VC55 Rare Plant Register (Hall and Woodward 2022) as Locally Scarce