As one of our most stately and distinctive plants, the Wild Teasel (or Teazle) Dipsacus fullonum is a familiar sight, frequently found in marginal habitats and often found rowing in gardens. Its forests of tall stems are topped with insect-covered flowers in summer, and in winter the seedheads attract flocks of Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis. But there is more to these plants than just birds and bees, not least as there are two teasels that compete for the name D. fullonum.
The two teasels identified as Dipsacus fullonum are biologically similar but distinct in ecological and heritage terms. Jonathan Briggs explores the shared histories of the often-confused Wild Teasel and Cultivated Teasel in Britain.