Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Cirsium virginianum

Cirsium virginianum (L.) Michx.

Virginia Thistle

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s): Carduus virginianus, Cirsium revolutum

USDA Symbol: CIVI

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

From the Image Gallery

No images of this plant

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Biennial
Habit: Herb
Size Notes: Up to about 6 feet tall.
Fruit: Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Purple
Bloom Time: Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: DE , FL , GA , MS , NC , NJ , SC , TX , VA

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACW				FACW

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Cirsium virginianum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Cirsium virginianum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Cirsium virginianum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-03-02
Research By: CBR

Go back