Cirsium discolor, Field Thistle
Pictures to come!
Most experience with thistle, anywhere in the U.S., is with Canada Thistle, Bull Thistle, Scotch Thistle, and other weedy or invasive thistles. Field Thistle is not that thistle! Aka Pasture Thistle, it is a much less spiny thistle with a deep taproot. It does not spread by rhizome like Canada Thistle does. It will self-seed, the only mechanism this biennial plant has to spread. Other than planting new basal rosettes in your prairie each year, allowing it to self seed is the only way you can ensure Field Thistle continues to bloom and provide for wildlife in your prairie. If you prefer to avoid thistle, then this one is not for you!
Blooms: magenta-pink, July to October
Height: 3 to 6 feet
Conditions: sun to pt sun, medium to medium-dry soils
