Sonchus Asper

Waiting to take over.. . .

This is a weed I found growing in a parking lot near this building.

Sonchus asper, or spiny sowthistle, is rudely named but actually edible when not covered in nasty city grime. It's a tough and prickly one, won't be beaten down, and might be among the beings who will own this City one day. I tried to paint it looking as if it were contemplating this fact.

This was on the roof of the "Furniture and Carpets" building, one of my favorites in San Francisco (before it got renovated and stripped of its patina of history.) It's a building I've painted repeatedly in other murals, including (twice) in my mural in the Tenderloin, which is partially visible in the upper left of the photos above.

Thanks Apex and Robert for access to this spot.