Spiny Thistle Cirsium horridulum
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- SIR-see-um hor-id-YOO-lum
- Description
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Bull Thistle is a native herbaceous perennial that may grow 2 to 5 feet tall and is very spiny on all parts of the plant. It is often found along the edges of salt marshes, fields, shores, savannahs, roadsides and waste places. It is also a pasture weed in the South. It grows best in sandy soil.
It is a high-value nectar plant for bees and butterflies and the birds eat the seeds.
- Cultivars / Varieties:
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Cirsium
- Species:
- horridulum
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern U.S.A. to Honduras and Bahamas
- Distribution:
- AL , AR , CT , DE , FL , GA , LA , MA , MD , ME , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NV , NY , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA
- Wildlife Value:
- It is the host plant for the Little Metalmark and Painted Lady Butterflies. Flowers are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. Songbirds eat the seeds. Members of the genus Cirsium support the following specialized bees: Melissodes (Heliomelissodes) desponsus, Osmia (Helicosmia) chalybea and Osmia (Helicosmia) texana.
- Play Value:
- Attracts Pollinators
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herb
- Native Plant
- Weed
- Wildflower
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Piedmont
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Fruit:
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Pink
- Red/Burgundy
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Head
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Dome
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- 3 inch wide yellow and pink to purple disc flower heads atop multi-branched stems. Its spiny bracts may be purple or white. In the south, the blooms tend to be pinks to purples.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Pink
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Rosulate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Oblanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Basal rosette of leaves can grow 8-24 inches long and are deeply incised and very spiny. The stem leaves are alternate and very spiny.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Hairy green stems
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Landscape:
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Hummingbirds
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Specialized Bees
- Problems:
- Spines/Thorns
- Weedy
