




Cirsium vulgare
Bull Thistle is a tall plant with spiky leaves and bright purple flowers. It grows in fields and along roadsides, making it easy to spot in nature!
Habitat: Grasslands
The Bull Thistle has large, stiff, deeply lobed leaves armed with sharp, yellow spines. Its stout, hairy stems are topped with bristly, globe-shaped flower heads that bloom with vibrant purple to pink-magenta florets.





Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
2/5 · Low
Snaps
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A single Bull Thistle plant can produce thousands of tiny seeds!
Its taproot can grow over 2 feet deep into the soil.
Many birds, like goldfinches, love to eat its nutritious seeds.
Young thistle stems and roots can be cooked and eaten!
Bull Thistle has sharp, rigid spines that protect its leaves and stems from hungry herbivores.
Bull Thistle can launch its feathery seeds on the wind, helping them travel far and wide to new growing spots.
Bull Thistle has a thick taproot that helps it reach deep water and stay firmly anchored.
Apis mellifera
Collects nectar and pollen from flowers.

Danaus plexippus
Drinks nectar from its purple blooms.

Carduelis tristis
Consumes seeds directly from dried flower heads.
Rhinocyllus conicus
Larvae develop within the seed heads, consuming seeds.
Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
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 plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
Possessing sharp, pointed projections or spines on the body or surface.
Danger
2/5 · Low
Be careful around Bull Thistle because its leaves are sharp!
50-180 cm
30-90 cm
3-5 cm
Summer-fall
Yes
None
Biennial
Insect
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New York, US
You might spot Red Maple, Black Tupelo, and Sensitive Fern.
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Pennsylvania, US
You might spot Orange Hawkweed and Hickory Tussock Moth.
View guide →

South Dakota, US
You might spot Mourning Dove, Vulture, and Woodhouse's Toad.
View guide →

England, UK
You might spot Cinnabar Moth, Common Moorhen, and Marmalade Hover Fly.
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North Denmark Region, DK
You might spot House Sparrow, Eurasian Jackdaw, and Common Wood-Pigeon.
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New York, US
You might spot Spotted Lanternfly and Eastern Gray Squirrel.
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