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Canada Thistle

Cirsium arvense

Summary 3

Cirsium arvense is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native throughout Europe and northern Asia, and widely introduced elsewhere. The standard English name in its native area is creeping thistle.

Description 4

Family:
Asteraceae (Aster)

Height:
2 to 5 feet

Leaves:
Alternate, deeply lobed with prickly edges

Flower:
Clusters of slender pink-purple, petal-like flowers (up to 1 inch wide) on the upper branches of the stem

Bloom time:
June-October

Nicknames:
Field Thistle

Habitat:
Roadsides, wetlands, fields

Can I plant this in my garden?
No, Canada thistle is a noxious weed in Minnesota and should be eradicated, not planted. Control methods include chemical treatment with clopyralid or by cutting and bagging seedheads to prevent dispersal.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/canada-thistle

Range 4

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Almantas Kulbis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Almantas Kulbis
  2. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
  3. Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirsium_arvense
  4. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNaturalistAU Map

Family Asteraceae
Habit Forb
Origin introduced
Life cycle perennial
Flower pink, purple
Listing invasive, noxious weed, prohibited or restricted
Bloom time (6) June, (7) July, (8) August, (9) September, 10 - October
*sites Gervais Mill Pond, Lake Phalen, Snail Lake
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