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.