Pasture Thistle

Plant Info

Also known as:	Field Thistle
Scientific name:	Cirsium discolor
Family:	Aster (Asteraceae)
Life cycle:	biennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	sun; fields, along roads, open woods
Bloom season:	late summer to early fall
Plant height:	3 to 7 feet
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Long Lake Regional Park Rice Creek Trail Corridor Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park

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Detailed Information

Flower:

Flower head is 1½ to 2 inches across, pink to lavender, or occasionally white. Several flower heads branch off the main stem in the upper part of the plant.

The bracts are flat, green with a white stripe and resemble fish scales. Each bract has a ¼ inch long needle-like spine at the tip that sticks straight out.

Leaves and stem:

Leaves are up to 9 inches long and 3 inches wide, divided into several narrow lobes, some divided further, with small spines all along the edges and longer spines at the lobe tips. The underside of leaves is white, covered in short hairs. The main stem is also covered in hairs, but not is not spiny.

More photos

• full size plants, about 6 feet tall
• more flowers
• Pasture Thistle with white flowers 

Photos taken at Long Lake Regional Park, New Brighton, MN, Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park, Coon Rapids, MN, Rice Creek Trail Corridor, Shoreview, MN August 2006-2008

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Ramsey County, or have any other comments about it?

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Please: Do not ask about where to buy seed or other gardening questions, are plants edible, etc. I am not a horticulturist or botanist, just an enthusiastic hobbyist so I probably don't know the answer. Please check the links page for additional resources. -thanks much

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