Canada thistle

Plants: Forbs/Herbs
Magnoliopsida > Asterales > Asteraceae > Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.
Synonym(s): Californian thistle, creeping thistle, field thistle
Canada thistle is a tall, erect, spiny, perennial, herbaceous plant that grows to 4 ft. (1.2 m) tall. It has an extensive creeping rootstock. The leaves are lance-shaped, irregularly lobed, 2-6 in. (5-15 cm) long with prickly margins. The stems are ridged and hairy. The flowers are purple to white and can be up to 0.5 in. (1.8 cm) in diameter. Flowering occurs in late June to August. The small fruit, called achenes, are 1 to 1.5 in. (2.5-3.8 cm) long and have a feathery pappus which allows them to be dispersed further by wind. Numerous species of thistle occur in North America, and while some are invasive, many are native. Often the species are difficult to distinguish. Canada thistle can invade a variety of open habitats including prairies, savannas, fields, pastures, wet meadows and open forests. It forms dense stands which can shade out and displace native vegetation. Once established it spreads rapidly and is difficult to remove. Canada thistle is native to Europe and Asia and was accidentally introduced to North America in the 1600s.

169 records

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Image Descriptor Description Photographer
5307004 Diagram or Graphic Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 3: 553. USDA PLANTS Database
5307006 Diagram or Graphic USDA NRCS. Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. USDA PLANTS Database
1358353 Feature(s) Stem and foliage Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1551186 Feature(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
5385902 Field Jan Samanek
5385905 Flower(s) Jan Samanek
5385907 Flower(s) Jan Samanek
5385908 Flower(s) Jan Samanek
5374380 Flower(s)

female flowers

Joseph M. DiTomaso
5374381 Flower(s)

male flowers

Joseph M. DiTomaso
5385901 Flower(s) Jan Samanek
5356266 Flower(s) Terry L Spivey
5356268 Flower(s) Terry L Spivey
5358632 Flower(s)

Close-up view of buds and flower of Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense).

L.L. Berry
5360187 Flower(s)

Canada thistle early bud

 

K. George Beck
5270079 Flower(s) Leslie J. Mehrhoff
5270075 Flower(s)

Flowers-white morph

Leslie J. Mehrhoff
5270077 Flower(s)

Close-up of flowers

Leslie J. Mehrhoff
5090085 Flower(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
5090089 Flower(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
5230083 Flower(s) Female flower heads Richard Old
5230085 Flower(s) Male flower heads Richard Old
5230086 Flower(s) Male flower heads Richard Old
1560073 Flower(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1459761 Flower(s) Purple and (rare) white flowers in the same field Steve Dewey
1459764 Flower(s) Steve Dewey
1459915 Flower(s) Steve Dewey
1553261 Flower(s) Theodore Webster
1560036 Flower(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560037 Flower(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560038 Flower(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560039 Flower(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560040 Flower(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1358359 Flower(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1358360 Flower(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1358357 Flower(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1459756 Flower(s) Steve Dewey
1459758 Flower(s) Steve Dewey
0024019 Flower(s) Norman E. Rees
1196013 Flower(s) Michael Shephard
1334019 Flower(s) South Dakota Chris Evans
1334020 Flower(s) South Dakota Chris Evans
1334022 Flower(s) In a forested setting. South Dakota Chris Evans
1358349 Flower(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1358351 Flower(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
5392049 Flower(s)

Male inflorescence

John M. Randall
5392050 Flower(s) John M. Randall
5392051 Flower(s) John M. Randall
5392052 Flower(s) John M. Randall
5392053 Flower(s) John M. Randall
5392054 Flower(s) John M. Randall
5385914 Flower(s) Jan Samanek
5392046 Flower(s) John M. Randall
5392047 Flower(s)

Flowerheads

John M. Randall
5385911 Foliage Jan Samanek
5385912 Foliage Jan Samanek
5385913 Foliage Jan Samanek
1358352 Foliage Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1358361 Foliage Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1358354 Foliage Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1358355 Foliage Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1553265 Foliage

basal rosette

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560045 Foliage Theodore Webster
1560050 Foliage Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1553262 Foliage

basal rosette

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1459755 Foliage Steve Dewey
1551183 Foliage Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560067 Foliage Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560057 Foliage

basal rosette

Anthony D. White
1560058 Foliage

basal rosette

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560063 Foliage

basal rosette

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
5090086 Foliage Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
5090088 Foliage Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
5358630 Foliage

Close-up view of the spines and waxy cuticle of Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) leaves.

L.L. Berry
5270081 Foliage Leslie J. Mehrhoff
5376367 Fruit(s) Julia Scher
5376368 Fruit(s)

apex of an achene

Julia Scher
5376369 Fruit(s)

base of achene

Julia Scher
5376370 Fruit(s)

cross section of achene

Julia Scher
5230084 Fruit(s)

Female flower heads

Richard Old
1553264 Fruit(s) Ken Chamberlain
1560041 Fruit(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560042 Fruit(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560043 Fruit(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
5392045 Fruit(s)

Seedheads

John M. Randall
1553263 Infestation

fruiting

Theodore Webster
1553268 Infestation

in flower

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1551182 Infestation Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1459762 Infestation Steve Dewey
1459759 Infestation With white flowers Steve Dewey
1459757 Infestation Steve Dewey
1299209 Infestation Vince Belleci
1459754 Infestation In a pasture Steve Dewey
1196257 Infestation UAF Cooperative Extension Archive
1196143 Infestation UAF Cooperative Extension Archive
0024021 Infestation Norman E. Rees
1196009 Infestation UAF Cooperative Extension Archive
5270076 Infestation Leslie J. Mehrhoff
5270080 Infestation Leslie J. Mehrhoff
1929056 Infestation in canola (Rape seed) field near Consort, Alberta Alec McClay
5374379 Infestation

male plants on left and female on right

Joseph M. DiTomaso
5362876 Infestation

Canada thistle plants (Cirsium arvense) infesting field corn.

Phil Westra
5358631 Plant(s)

Mature Canada thistle plant, Cirsium arvense.

L.L. Berry
5330089 Plant(s) Todd Pfeiffer
5358460 Plant(s)

Rosettes of Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense).

Howard F. Schwartz
5358615 Plant(s)

Canada thistle plants (Cirsium arvense) going to seed along a roadside.

L.L. Berry
5358628 Plant(s)

A Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) plant going to seed.

L.L. Berry
5358629 Plant(s)

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) at the rosette stage.

L.L. Berry
5374382 Plant(s)

young sprout from rhizome

Joseph M. DiTomaso
5385906 Plant(s)

with mature seed

Jan Samanek
5385903 Plant(s) Jan Samanek
5385904 Plant(s)

with mature seed

Jan Samanek
1929057 Plant(s) Leslie Dietz
5090084 Plant(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1560047 Plant(s)

in flower

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560048 Plant(s)

in flower; view from above

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
5270078 Plant(s) Leslie J. Mehrhoff
5230087 Plant(s) Richard Old
1196010 Plant(s) UAF Cooperative Extension Archive
1196252 Plant(s) UAF Cooperative Extension Archive
1196121 Plant(s) Jamie Nielsen
1237095 Plant(s) Dan Tenaglia
1265114 Plant(s) Peggy Greb
1358350 Plant(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1358358 Plant(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1459760 Plant(s) Steve Dewey
1358356 Plant(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1459222 Plant(s) Along railroad right-of-way Steve Dewey
1459763 Plant(s) With white flowers Steve Dewey
5392048 Plant(s)

Plants

John M. Randall
5391602 Plant(s)

Weird white foliage

Barry Rice
5398054 Plant(s)

leaf

Robert Vidéki
5398055 Plant(s)

leaf

Robert Vidéki
5398056 Plant(s)

leaf

Robert Vidéki
5398554 Plant(s)

leaf

Robert Vidéki
5398555 Plant(s)

leaf

Robert Vidéki
0024020 Research research site Norman E. Rees
1551187 Seed(s) Ken Chamberlain
5307005 Seed(s) Steve Hurst
5385909 Seed(s) Jan Samanek
5385910 Seed(s) Jan Samanek
5310003 Seed(s) Ken Chamberlain
5360185 Seed(s)

Seed heads (capitula) of Canada thistle

K. George Beck
5364422 Seed(s)

Seeds of Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense).

Howard F. Schwartz
5362875 Seedling(s)

Seedling (or young rosette) of Canada thistle, Cirsium arvense.

Phil Westra
1560065 Seedling(s)

cotyledons

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560066 Seedling(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560059 Seedling(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560060 Seedling(s)

cotyledons

Ken Chamberlain
1560061 Seedling(s) Theodore Webster
1560062 Seedling(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560069 Seedling(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560070 Seedling(s)

cortyledons

Brian Sugarman
1560071 Seedling(s)

cotyledons

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560072 Seedling(s)

cotyledons

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1551184 Seedling(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1553269 Seedling(s) Ken Chamberlain
1553270 Seedling(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560035 Seedling(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560044 Seedling(s)

with cotyledons

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560052 Seedling(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560053 Seedling(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560054 Seedling(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560055 Seedling(s)

with cotyledons

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560056 Seedling(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560046 Seedling(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1553266 Seedling(s) Theodore Webster
1553267 Seedling(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1560064 Stem(s) Theodore Webster


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