The search got me some info that this is called (among many other names) Variegated artichoke. Does that mean it can be consumes like artichokes? :p
Pretty plants, but damn, don't even try to get close or pass them by without armor.
Silybum marianum
That's already 2 names. Another very easy to remember is Milk thistle. It can be found in the warmer, parts of Europe and can be considered a weed. It will spread easily though seeds and can grow in the most harsh conditions.
Blooming starts in early March and will last until early summer. By August, when it is the hottest around here the plant will dry up and die. The seeds produces in spring will wait for some autumn rain to start grow.
In winter the young plants can be found in most grasslands and along the roadside. The levees create quite a pretty rosette very close to the ground covered in nasty thorns.
The variegated part of the name comes from the white pattern on the foliage.
The plant can grow up to 2 meters, but the tallest one I saw was probably 1.5. This is the one you see here. It was growing along the fence and it was probably doing better job than the fence itself.
I really like this type of ilustrations, so here is one :)
source
Shot with Nikon D5500 + Sigma 105mm lens
All photos and text are my own.
