Alpine Blue-sow-thistle Cicerbita alpina

Alpine Blue-sow-thistle
©Bob Gibbons/Natural Image

Alpine Blue-sow-thistle is a very rare plant that grows on only four rocky ledges in Scotland. It was once part of a more widely distributed mountain flora that is today restricted by changing land management practices and increased levels of grazing.

It is a very palatable plant and is today restricted to these inaccessible ledges. Because it is so rare in Scotland, there is little information on its ecology and its management.

Plantlife has commissioned a species report (or species dossier) to provide detailed information on this species and its distribution in Scotland. Click here to find out more.