How much sun does Common Teasel need?

Common Teasel grows best in full sun conditions.

When does Common Teasel bloom?

Common Teasel blooms in June, July, and August.

What pollinators does Common Teasel attract?

Common Teasel draws bees, butterflies, beetles, and flies.

Is Common Teasel HOA-friendly?

Common Teasel takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Common Teasel

Name: Pollinator Patch
Author: Pollinator Patch

Dipsacus fullonum

Last reviewed: September 2026

Toxicity unknown

Common Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.

Light

full sun

Water

medium

Size

36"–72" H × 12"–24" W

Bloom

Jun, Jul, Aug

Pollinators

bees, butterflies, beetles, flies

Native alternatives to Common Teasel

Common Teasel is not native to the United States. These natives fill a similar role in a planting, matched on bloom season, bloom color and mature size.

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Common teasel is a tall biennial that produces distinctive spiky, egg-shaped flower heads on sturdy stems. The purple flowers bloom in summer and are followed by dried seed heads that persist into winter. This plant forms a rosette of prickly leaves in its first year before sending up flowering stems in the second year.

In an HOA neighborhood

Common Teasel takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: high. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Works well in: backyard only.

Aggressive self-seeder that can become weedy
Tall wild appearance may look unkempt to neighbors
Spiky texture and dried stems can appear messy

Wildlife value

The flowers attract various pollinators including bees, butterflies, beetles, and flies during summer blooming. The persistent seed heads provide food for goldfinches and other seed-eating birds through fall and winter.

Common questions

How much sun does Common Teasel need?: Common Teasel grows best in full sun conditions.
When does Common Teasel bloom?: Common Teasel blooms in June, July, and August.
What pollinators does Common Teasel attract?: Common Teasel draws bees, butterflies, beetles, and flies.
Is Common Teasel HOA-friendly?: Common Teasel takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

If something looks wrong

Common plant problems, and what to check first

These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.

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