Thistle (Period)

The thistle is a prickly flower with a poofy blossom; it is most strongly associated with Scotland.  Unlike most flowers, the thistle is shown in profile by default.  In Scots armory, the thistle’s “proper” coloration is with green ball, stem and leaves, and a red bloom; Society armory more frequently makes the bloom purple.  A crowned thistle, as the Royal badge of Scotland [HB 141], is not registerable in the Society.

The thistle is slipped and leaved by default, although this is frequently blazoned.  A “thistle head” is the ball and bloom alone, without the stem and leaves; we find an example of the charge in the Recueil d’armoiries peintes, a 15th Century roll of arms, in the attributed arms of Sir Griflet, Knight of the Round Table.

For related charges, see teazel.

Lorimar MacAltin of Garioch bears:  Azure, three thistles slipped and leaved argent.

Theresa de Foxton bears:  Per bend embattled sable and gules, a thistle slipped and leaved argent.

Malcolm of Strathavon bears:  Argent, five thistles, three and two, slipped and leaved vert.

Willoc mac Muiredaig bears:  Per pale vert and purpure all semy of thistle heads Or.