Cirsium carolinianum
soft thistle, carolina thistle, spring thistle, tall thistle
Family
Asteraceae
Leaf Arrangement
alternate, basal (rosulate)
Leaf Margin
pinnatifid
Leaf Type
simple
Growth Form
forb
Flower Color
blue, pink, purple
Flower Month
May - June
Height (meters)
0.3 - 1.8
Milky Sap
No
Armed/Unarmed
Armed
Origin
native
Lifespan
biennial, perennial
Field Characters
Leaves up to 25 mm wide to evidently pinnatifid and to 50 mm wide, the basal ones to 300 mm, the cauline relatively few mostly 100-250 mm long, 80 - 150 mm wide and except when lobed, seldom more than 15 mm wide.
Habitat
Open woods, dry sandy soil, sandy forested areas.