Milk thistle, or Silybum marianum, is native to southern Europe and southern Russia, and contains a complex of therapeutic compounds known collectively as silymarin. Milk thistle has been employed as a medicine for at least 2,000 years, primarily for ailments of the liver. The 4th Century BC herbalist Theophrastus, and the 1st Century AD physicians Dioscorides and Pliny all mentioned milk thistle. In the 19th and 20th century, Eclectic physicians in the United States prescribed milk thistle for disorders of the liver, kidneys and spleen, and for varicose veins and pelvic congestion.

“Chris loves Milk Thistle, and was fascinated by how well it grew (wild) in Patagonia. He leapt out of the truck and pulled out his knife to check these seeds out. It is a beautiful plant, and I like the photos as a series.” – Zoe Helene