common sowthistle, Asteraceae, Sonchus oleraceus

Originally I thought sowthistle would be pronounced like the lady pig. Then I thought of sow, like planting seeds. That makes sense! After all, this is a common weed in field and gardens. Finally, I checked. Lady pigs win, because this is a favorite food of theirs. So, it's edible? Ever take a nibble of wild lettuce? Just to see? Yikes! It's hard to believe the stuff in the fresh section came from that. Sowthistle has much of that same bitterness. Common sowthistle is a weed you won't find in your lawn. It survives herbicides, but not lawnmowers. It now grows in every state and province except LB, and is on GL and SPM. Lenawee Co MI, 6/22/11. Aster family, Asteraceae.