Pūhā (native sow thistle)

Sonchus kirkii

The green in a boil-up; rub the stems to draw out the bitter milk before cooking.

Type: herb or perennial · perennial vegetables, greens and herbs
Hardiness: zones 8 to 11
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 2 ft tall, 1 ft wide
Harvest: year-round
From: Aotearoa New Zealand
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.

Good for: food.

Native to: Aotearoa New Zealand. Hardy in zones 8 to 11.

The story

Pūhā is one of the best-loved wild greens of Māori cooking, the bitter leaf that balances pork in a boil-up. It grows on coasts and stream banks around Aotearoa, and it is a cousin of the sow thistle weeding itself into gardens everywhere.

Planting

Sun or part shade and moist, fertile soil. Scatter seed in spring or fall.

Growing

Keep it watered for tender leaves. Let a few plants seed to keep the patch going.

Harvest and use

Pick young leaves and stems before flowering. Rub or bruise them under running water to draw out the bitter white sap, then simmer.

What to watch for

Leaves turn tough and more bitter once it flowers.

See if Pūhā (native sow thistle) fits your yard
Free planner: enter your ZIP for frost dates, climate fit and a sowing calendar. No account, no ads, no tracking cookies.

More perennial vegetables, greens and herbs

General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home