# Cabbage Thistle (*Cirsium oleraceum*)

Cabbage thistle is a tall plant with spiky leaves and purple flowers. It grows in fields and along roadsides, making it easy to spot in nature.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Cabbage Thistle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Kohldistel_%28Cirsium_oleraceum%29_%281%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: DiAuras, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kohldistel_%28Cirsium_oleraceum%29_%281%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The Cabbage Thistle has an upright stem and large, somewhat smooth, often slightly toothed leaves that resemble cabbage. Its flowers are typically pale yellow or creamy white, emerging in clusters, making it visually distinct from the more common purple thistles.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Asteraceae
- **Genus:** Cirsium

## Interesting facts

- Its leaves have a mild, slightly bitter taste, much like cabbage!
- The flowers are usually pale yellow or cream, not purple like you might expect!
- Unlike most thistles, this one loves growing in really wet, boggy places.
- Young leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked like spinach.

## Special abilities

- **Wetland Warrior:** Cabbage Thistle can thrive in damp, nutrient-rich soils, an adaptation that helps it survive where many other plants struggle.
- **Cabbage Camouflage:** Cabbage Thistle has smooth, almost spineless leaves, which helps it avoid being recognized and eaten as a typical spiky thistle.
- **Pollinator Beacon:** Cabbage Thistle has light-colored flowers that attract a wide variety of insects, helping it successfully reproduce.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 60-150 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-4 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** Painted Lady Butterfly (*Vanessa cardui*) — sips nectar from flowers
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — important pollinator
- **Eats:** Thistle Aphid (*Uroleucon cirsii*) — feeds on plant sap

## 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.
- [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.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Be careful around the spiky leaves, they can scratch you!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Cabbage 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 Cabbage Thistle?

60-150 cm

### How wide does Cabbage Thistle spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Cabbage Thistle?

2-4 cm

### When does Cabbage Thistle bloom?

Summer

### Is Cabbage Thistle edible?

Yes

### Is Cabbage Thistle toxic?

None

### What is Cabbage Thistle's lifecycle?

Perennial

## 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*)

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Source: [Cabbage Thistle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cabbage-thistle)