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Common Sowthistle

Sonchus oleraceus

Found in roadsides, fields, pastures, disturbed areas. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

—
Not native

Not native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 65%

Height
2–10 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to moist

At a glance

Life cycle
Annual or biennial
Bloom
March to July

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 17 Alabama counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

3CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Sonchus

  • Phycitodes reliquellaWhite-Edged Phycitodes
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Sonchus

  • Andrena chromotricha
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
6BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Sonchus

  • Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
  • Junco hyemalisDark-eyed Junco
  • Melospiza melodiaSong Sparrow
  • Perdix perdixGray Partridge
  • Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse
  • Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Asteraceae

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “Late March to July” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Height · “2–10 feet” · Minnesota Wildflowers
  • Life cycle · “Annual or biennial” · Minnesota Wildflowers
  • Light · “Partial shade; Full sun (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Soil · “Dry; Moist (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNA
Global rankGNR
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

Find natives for your garden

Sources