Teasel Seeds
Flower Specifications
Season: Biennial
USDA Zones: 3 - 8
Height: 72 inches
Bloom Season: Mid summer to early fall
Bloom Color: Lilac
Environment: Full sun
Soil Type: Dry, well-drained soil, pH 5.9 - 7.5
Deer Resistant: Yes
Latin Name: Dipsacus Sativus
Planting Directions
Temperature: 65F
Average Germ Time: 7 - 14 days
Light Required: Yes
Depth: Cover seed 1/8 inch with topsoil
Sowing Rate: 3 - 4 seeds per plant
Moisture: Keep seeds moist until germination
Plant Spacing: 12 inches
Care & Maintenance: Teasel
Teasel (Dipsacus Sativus) - Growing Teasel from flower seeds is easy to do, and it is a very dramatic plant to have in the back border as it can reach a height of 72 inches. Sometimes called Indian Teasel or Fuller's Teasel, it has comb-like flower heads that were used in the wool industry to bring up the nap in woolen cloth. Dipsacus Sativus Fuller's Teasel is also known as an excellent cut flower for drying. It is widely used in floral arrangements and crafts.
Teasel plants will perform well in sunny areas with well-drained soil. Once established they need very little care and are fairly drought tolerant. Deer do not bother the Fuller's Teasel plant. The Teasel flowers are very popular with bees, birds and hummingbirds who love the flowers and seeds. Teasels are considered a biennial. The first year they will not produce a bloom, but the second year, tall spikes will form with flower heads that are 4 inches, cylindrical-shaped and made up of a mass of tiny flowers. The flowers are usually a lavender color and bloom in a band from the bottom of the flower head to the top, lasting about a month. To keep a patch of Teasel plants in the garden, let a few of the flower heads go to seed. The Teasel flower seeds will drop and self-sow.
How To Grow Teasel From Seed: The Teasel seeds can be directly sown in the ground in early spring or started indoors. Prepare a seedbed by weeding and loosening the top several inches of soil. Sow the Fuller's Teasel seeds and lightly cover the seeds with soil. Keep moist until germination. Thin the Teasel seedlings to 12 inches apart.
Fascinating Feature Plant
Teasel plants put on a display all year long: even after the flower cones are dried and spent, they persist through the winter providing a unique display of tall spiky cones.
Excellent Landscape Plant
How To Grow
Teasel can be started indoors, but it is resilient plant that is most easily started outdoors in its permanent location. Plant in the early spring: note that this plant will not bloom in its first year. Sow seeds directly into a prepared seedbed with loosened soil. Cover seed with 1/8 inch of topsoil, and keep moist until germination, which will occur in 7-14 days. Sow 3-4 seeds per plant, but thin to the strongest seedling at a spacing of 12 inches apart once established. Teasel flower seeds will drop and self sow during the plant's second year.
- Environment: full sun
- Soil: well-drained with pH 5.9-7.5
- Temperature: 65F
Plant Information
Teasel is a wild flowering biennial that grows in USDA zones 3 through 8. Bees are especially fond of this plant, and it will put impressive flower cones during its second year that will persist through the winter after they are spent.
- Bloom color: lilac
- Bloom season: mid summer to early fall
- Height: 72 inches