The flowering of teazles is slightly unusual. Instead of starting from the bottom, or starting from the top, like most other flower spikes, it starts from the middle (at this stage, it always reminds me of a mediaeval monk’s tonsure). The flowering area then moves both upwards and downwards, becoming two separate rings.
They were a feature of my childhood in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, the dried heads having been used for raising the nap on woollen fabrics from mediaeval times until the 20th century, as in the local town of Witney which was famous for woollen blankets. I’m pleased to have them as wildflowers in my garden (though I must remember to cut them down before the seeds are shed – they’re prolific, though the seeds don’t usually travel very far).
