Teasel at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm

This picture is of the seed heads of a teasel plant, a wildflower that has become popular with some gardeners.

I spotted this teasel plant at the Meanwood Valley Urban Farm and with blue sky in the background I could not resist getting my camera out. I had gone to this city farm to look around and to get some photographs for my Leeds Daily Photo.

I think the teasel is quite an attractive plant and because it attracts butterflies when in flower and finches like the seeds later in the summer I would be pleased to have this in any garden I might have. I can see though that some might not want this weed that can grow to 2m in height in their flower beds.

Dipsacus fullonum, syn. Dipsacus sylvestris, is a species of flowering plant known by the common names Fuller's teasel and wild teasel. The teasel was formerly widely used in textile processing, providing a natural comb for cleaning, aligning and raising the nap on fabrics, particularly wool. Yorkshire formerly had a lot of textile mills so I guess that may be why this plant is quite common here.