Cirsium discolor
Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Carduus discolor
- Description
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Field thistle is a native biennial to short-lived perennial in the daisy (Asteraceae) family and is native to eastern and central North America including NC. The plant is found in moist to dry soils of prairies, pastures, old fields, roadsides, savannas and forest edges. It starts out as a basal rosette of leaves. The field thistle then grows 3-10 feet tall with a few to many branches during the second year and has hairy stems and sharp spines on the leaves. The plant blooms in its second year and then usually dies although it may take more than 1 year to bloom. It spreads by seeds.
Large lobed leaves tend to get smaller as they go up the stem. The large showy pink to purple heads of flowers appear at the end of stems from June to Oct. The heads are 1 to 2 inches across and contain many tubular disc flowers.
Many insects from beetles to bees to butterflies are attracted to this plant due to the abundant nectar. Sometimes people mistake this plant for the aggressive European bull thistle and try to eradicate it. Bull thistle blooms in the spring rather than later summer, both leaf surfaces are green rather than whitish undersides and have many more spines.
This plant tolerates a wide variety of soils if they are well-drained and is drought-tolerant due to a deep tap root. It will flower best in full sun but tolerates some shade. Use this plant in a pollinator/native garden or naturalized areas.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Cirsium
- Species:
- discolor
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Life Cycle:
- Biennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Central and eastern North America
- Distribution:
- AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV Canada: MB, NB, NS, ON, QC
- Wildlife Value:
- Many pollinators will visit these flowers. Songbirds, especially finches, will eat the seeds
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Wildlife Food Source
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Native Plant
- Wildflower
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
- Appendage:
- Spines
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Type:
- Achene
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- The achenes have tufts of hairs to help wind dispersal of seeds
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Head
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- The pink to purple (rarely white) disc flowers are in a flowerhead up to 2 inches across. There can be 50-100 disc flowers in each. The bracts are flat, green with a white stripe, resemble fish scales and have a short needle-like spine at the tip that sticks out. Many flowerheads can appear at the same time. individual disc flowers are tubular. The flowers occur in late summer to early fall.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- White
- Leaf Feel:
- Prickly
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Pinnatifid
- Leaf Margin:
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The pinnately lobed green leaves are up to 9 inches long and 3 inches across. The undersides are whitish with hairs. The lobes are narrow and sometimes divided further into smaller lobes. The leaves get smaller as they ascend the plant. There are often spines along the margins of leaves
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Hairy green stems without spines
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Small groups
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Problems:
- Short-lived
- Spines/Thorns
