# Broad-winged Thistle (*Carduus acanthoides*) The Broad-winged Thistle is a tall plant with spiky leaves and beautiful purple flowers. It grows in sunny places and is loved by butterflies and bees! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Broad-winged Thistle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Carduus_acanthoides_RF.jpg&width=800) Photo: Robert Flogaus-Faust, CC BY 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carduus_acanthoides_RF.jpg) ## Appearance The Broad-winged Thistle has deeply lobed, spiny leaves that extend down its stem, creating a distinctive winged appearance. Its vibrant purple-pink flower heads are globe-shaped and erupt from spiky bracts, making it visually striking. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Carduus ## Interesting facts - Even though they’re spiky, many bees and butterflies visit their flowers for nectar! - Its scientific name, Carduus acanthoides, actually means 'spiny thistle'! - This plant is often called a 'weed' but it provides important food for many insects! - Thistles are a favorite snack for hungry goldfinches, who love to eat their seeds! ## Special abilities - **Spiny Defender:** Broad-winged Thistle has sharp spines covering its stems and leaves that help it defend against hungry herbivores. - **Wind Sailor Seeds:** Broad-winged Thistle can launch its seeds with fluffy parachutes, allowing them to float on the wind to new locations. - **Deep Drinker:** Broad-winged Thistle can grow a deep taproot to find water and nutrients far underground, helping it survive dry conditions. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-200 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 1.5-3 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer-fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Biennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [American Goldfinch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-goldfinch) (*Spinus tristis*) — eats seeds from the flower heads - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen from flowers - **Pollinates:** Painted Lady Butterfly (*Vanessa cardui*) — feeds on nectar from the thistle flowers - **Eaten by:** Cabbage Looper (*Trichoplusia ni*) — caterpillars sometimes munch on its leaves ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Spiky/Thorny](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spiky-thorny): Possessing sharp, pointed projections or spines on the body or surface. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Be careful around thistles; their spiky leaves can prick your skin. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Broad-winged Thistle? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Broad-winged Thistle? 30-200 cm ### How wide does Broad-winged Thistle spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on Broad-winged Thistle? 1.5-3 cm ### When does Broad-winged Thistle bloom? Summer-fall ### Is Broad-winged Thistle edible? No ### Is Broad-winged Thistle toxic? Mild ### What is Broad-winged Thistle's lifecycle? Biennial ## Where to spot - [Salem Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/salem-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Danebod](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/danebod) — Minnesota, US · Historic District - [Ruedi Reservoir](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ruedi-reservoir) — Colorado, US · Natural Landmark [View all places to see Broad-winged Thistle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/broad-winged-thistle) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Broad-winged Thistle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/broad-winged-thistle)