Silybum marianum is an annual in the Asteraceae family that grows three to seven feet tall with lettuce-like leaves and spikey, purple flowers. The plant has been used for centuries as a food and for its healthful properties. Milk thistle seed has a long tradition of use in western herbalism and is typically decocted as milk thistle tea. It can also be powdered for tinctures or encapsulated.Milk thistle has been revered for thousands of years as an effective herb. However, early on all parts of the plant were used for a variety of purposes. The leaves were extensively utilized and often eaten as a vegetable.Milk thistle supports the liver's natural detoxification process.*Silybum marianum grows as an annual or biennial from three to seven feet in height, has smooth, shiny, lettuce-like leaves with white veins and spines along the margins, and a solitary purple flower that can grow up to two and a half inches in diameter. It is native to the Mediterranean region and southwestern Europe and has been widely c