soft thistle

Cirsium carolinianum

The soft thistle is a pretty flower with fluffy purple blooms. It grows in fields and meadows, attracting butterflies and bees that love its nectar.

Hábitat: Grasslands

Aspecto

The soft thistle has pale purple to pinkish flower heads that are round and spiny, atop tall, ridged stems. Its leaves are deeply lobed and toothy, with soft, non-stinging prickles, distinguishing it from truly prickly thistles.

ReinoPlantaeFiloTracheophytaClaseMagnoliopsidaOrdenAsteralesFamiliaAsteraceaeGéneroCirsium

soft thistle

Categoría

Plantas

Rareza

Common

Peligro

2/5 · Bajo

Snaps

¡Sé la primera persona en hacer un snap!

Datos interesantes

Ancient Greeks used thistles for medicine, believing they could cure swollen veins!

Some moth and butterfly caterpillars are tough enough to munch on thistle leaves safely.

Thistles are incredibly tough plants, able to grow in disturbed soil where few others can!

Tiny thistle seeds are a favorite snack for many birds, especially American Goldfinches!

Habilidades especiales

Soft thistle can produce fluffy seed parachutes that help its seeds float far away on the wind to find new places to grow.

Soft thistle has spiny leaves and flower heads that deter hungry animals from eating its precious parts, helping it survive.

Soft thistle can grow long taproots that reach deep into the soil to find water and nutrients, helping it thrive in dry areas.

Medidas y detalles

Altura: 60-200 cm
Extensión: 30-60 cm
Tamaño de la flor: 2-4 cm
Temporada de floración: Verano
Comestible: No
Toxicidad: Ninguna
Ciclo de vida: Bienal
Método de polinización: Insectos

Conexiones ecológicas

pollinates

Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

Collects nectar and pollen.

pollinates

Monarch Butterfly

Danaus plexippus

Visits flowers for nectar.

eats

American Goldfinch

Spinus tristis

Feeds on ripe thistle seeds.

eats

Painted Lady Butterfly

Vanessa cardui

Larvae feed on thistle leaves.

Rasgos

Floración

Las plantas con flores son cualquier planta que produce flores como parte de su ciclo reproductivo.

Bienal

Las plantas bienales completan su ciclo de vida en dos temporadas de crecimiento, formando típicamente follaje en el primer año y floreciendo o semillando en el segundo.

Floración de verano

Las plantas de floración de verano producen sus flores durante la temporada estival, a menudo aportando un color vibrante cuando muchas otras plantas ya han terminado de florecer.