Asteraceae
Common sowthistle
Sonchus oleraceus
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Sonchus
Pet and kid safety: not checked yet. Check pet-safe plants
Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free
Common names
By language (53)
- ab
- Адәырҕыц
- aeb
- تفاف, دفاف
- Arabic
- تفاف زيتي, تفاف, تلفاف, تيفان, جعضيض, جعضيض زيتي, جلوين, حضيد
- arz
- تفاف زيتى
- Asturian
- Tarriellu
- Basque
- Astaurraza, Kardabera
- Belarusian
- Асот агародны
- Cantonese
- 苦苣菜
- Catalan
- Lletsó d'hort, Laiteron maraîcher
- Chinese
- 苦滇菜, 苦苣菜, 滇苦英菜, 滇苦荬菜, 滇苦菜, 苦苣菜（苦荬菜）, 苦荬菜, 苦菜
- Corsican
- Lattaghjolu
- Croatian
- Kostriš
- csb
- Mléczôk
- cv
- Пахча пиçенĕ
- Czech
- Mléč zelinný
- Danish
- Almindelig Svinemælk
- Dutch
- Gewone melkdistel
- English
- Common sowthistle, Smooth sow-thistle, Annual sow thistle, Hare's colwort, Hare's thistle, Milk thistle, Milky tassel, Smooth sow thistle
- Esperanto
- Ordinara sonko, Laktokardo kutima
- Estonian
- Harilik piimohakas
- Finnish
- Kaalivalvatti
- French
- Laiteron maraîcher, Laiteron commun, Laiteron potager
- frr
- Moolkfisel
- German
- Gemüse-Gänsedistel, Gemeine Gänsedistel, Kohl-Gänsedistel, Laiteron maraîcher
- Greek
- Ζοχός, Ζοχιά
- gv
- Bee conning, Bee muc, Onnane vuc, Onnnane veein
- Hebrew
- מרור הגינות
- Hungarian
- Szelíd csorbóka
- Irish
- Bleachtán mín
- Italian
- Crespigno, Sivone
- Japanese
- ノゲシ, ウスジロノゲシ, ケシアザミ, ハルノノゲシ, 野芥子
- kab
- Tiffaf
- Korean
- 방가지똥
- Latvian
- Dārza mīkstpiene
- Lithuanian
- Daržinė pienė, Laiteron maraîcher
- Macedonian
- Полски осот
- mrj
- Шӹшерӓн писӓн
- Norwegian Bokmål
- Haredylle
- Norwegian Nynorsk
- Haredylle
- Persian
- شیرتیغک معمولی
- Polish
- Mlecz zwyczajny
- Punjabi
- ਦੁਧਕਲ
- Quechua
- Salsa-salsa, Kanacho, Llamp'u k'ana, Llamp'u khana, Llampu k'ana, Llampu kana, Salsa salsa
- Romanian
- Susai moale
- Russian
- Осот огородный
- Spanish
- Cardos lechines, Carrajon, Carrajón, Cerraja castellana, Cerraja comun, Cerraja común, Cerrajon basto, Cerrajon imperial
- Swedish
- Kålmolke, Kålmjölktistel, Laiteron maraîcher, Lentiste, Melkenatistel, Tiste
- szy
- Nipaluma-sama
- udm
- Йӧны, Йӧлогумы
- Ukrainian
- Жовтий осот городній, Осот городній
- Uzbek
- Sabzavot boʻztikani
- vep
- Linmaping
- Welsh
- Llaethysgallen lefn
Synonyms
- Carduus amplexicaulis Noronha
- Lepicaune spinulosa Lapeyr.
- Sonchus angustissimus Hook.f.
- Sonchus angustissimus H.Lindb.
- Sonchus asper P.Gaertn. & al.
- Sonchus asper G.Gaertn., B.Mey. & Scherb.
- Sonchus australis Hort. ex Trev.
- Sonchus australis Trevir.
- Sonchus ciliatus Lam.
- Sonchus ciliatus var. subbipinnatifidus Guss.
- Sonchus fabrae Sennen & Sennen
- Sonchus glaber Gilib.
- Sonchus gracilis Phil.
- Sonchus gracilis Sennen
- Sonchus lacerus Willd.
- Sonchus laevis Vill.
- Sonchus laevis Garsault
- Sonchus longifolius Trevir.
- Sonchus longifolius Trev.
- Sonchus macrotus Fenzl
- Sonchus mairei H.Lév.
- Sonchus oleraceus f. oleraceus
- Sonchus oleraceus subsp. angustissimus H.Lindb.
- Sonchus oleraceus subsp. oleraceus
- Sonchus oleraceus var. ciliatus (Lam.) Jáv.
- Sonchus oleraceus var. dentatus Kirschl.
- Sonchus oleraceus var. integrifolius Wallr.
- Sonchus oleraceus var. lacer Schur
- Sonchus oleraceus var. lacerus (Willd.) Wallr.
- Sonchus oleraceus var. laciniatus Kirschl.
- Sonchus oleraceus var. litoralis P.D.Sell
- Sonchus oleraceus var. oleraceus
- Sonchus oleraceus var. purpurascens Druce
- Sonchus oleraceus var. subbipinnatifidus (Guss.) Fiori
- Sonchus oleraceus var. triangularis Wallr.
- Sonchus pallescens Panc.
- Sonchus pallescens Pančić
- Sonchus parviflorus Lej. ex Rchb.
- Sonchus piquetii Druce
- Sonchus reversus E.Mey. ex DC.
and 9 more.
Flowers
- In flower
- all year (from 7,358 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Annual
- In the US and Canada
- Alaska: introduced, Canada: introduced, Greenland: introduced, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Pacific Basin: introduced, Puerto Rico: introduced, St. Pierre and Miquelon: introduced, U.S. Virgin Islands: introduced
Photos
FlowerPhoto: Cheng-Tao Lin, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Vasily Reinkymov, CC0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Antonio W. Salas, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Gianni Del Bufalo bygdb, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Gavin Slater, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Wildfeuer, CC BY 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: zebedeugalinha, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Wildfeuer, CC BY 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: zebedeugalinha, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Wildfeuer, CC BY 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: zebedeugalinha, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
More in Sonchus
- Field sowthistleSonchus arvensisAsteraceae
- Spiny sowthistleSonchus asperAsteraceae
- Marsh sowthistleSonchus palustrisAsteraceae
- Slender sowthistleSonchus tenerrimusAsteraceae
- Sonchus fruticosusAsteraceae
- Sea sowthistleSonchus maritimusAsteraceae
- Sonchus acaulisAsteraceae
- Sonchus bulbosusAsteraceae
- Sonchus canariensisAsteraceae
- Sonchus ustulatusAsteraceae
- Sonchus brachyotusAsteraceae
- Sonchus congestusAsteraceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.