# creeping thistle (*Cirsium arvense*) Creeping thistle is a tall plant with spiky purple flowers. It grows in fields and gardens, and its fluffy seeds can float in the wind, spreading far and wide! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 43 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![creeping thistle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/20200701Cirsium_arvense1.jpg&width=800) Photo: AnRo0002, CC0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20200701Cirsium_arvense1.jpg) ## Appearance The creeping thistle has spiny, lance-shaped leaves that grow along its ribbed stem. Its vibrant purple flower heads are small, fuzzy, and typically clustered at the stem's top. Unlike some thistles, its flower heads are usually smaller and lack large spiny bracts. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Cirsium ## Interesting facts - Each tiny purple flower head can release hundreds of fluffy seeds carried far by the wind! - Its roots can dive over 6 feet deep, making it incredibly hard to remove from the soil! - While a weed to farmers, many pollinators, like bees and butterflies, absolutely love its nectar! - Young creeping thistle stems, when properly prepared, can actually be cooked and eaten! ## Special abilities - **Underground Networker:** Creeping thistle can spread widely with deep, creeping roots (rhizomes) that help it find water and nutrients, making it very resilient. - **Spiny Defender:** Creeping thistle has sharp spines on its leaves and stems that protect it from hungry animals wanting to take a bite. - **Super Seed Spreader:** Creeping thistle produces numerous lightweight, fluffy seeds that can float far on the wind, colonizing new areas easily. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-150 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar and pollen from flowers. - **Eats:** [Painted Lady](https://www.snappit.app/explore/painted-lady) (*Vanessa cardui*) — Larvae feed on thistle leaves. - **Eats:** [European Goldfinch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-goldfinch) (*Carduelis carduelis*) — Feeds on the seeds from the flower heads. - **Parasitizes:** Thistle aphid (*Uroleucon cirsii*) — Sucks sap from stems and 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. - [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. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Spiky/Thorny](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spiky-thorny): Possessing sharp, pointed projections or spines on the body or surface. - [Invasive](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/invasive): Invasive species are non-native organisms that cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Be careful of the sharp thorns on the leaves and stems. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify creeping 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 creeping thistle? 30-150 cm ### How big are the flowers on creeping thistle? 1-2 cm ### When does creeping thistle bloom? Summer ### Is creeping thistle edible? Yes ### Is creeping thistle toxic? Mild ### What is creeping thistle's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is creeping thistle pollinated? Insect ## Where to spot - [Abbott Farm Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/abbott-farm-historic-district) — New Jersey, US · Historic District - [Ambler Heights Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ambler-heights-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [Bald Eagle State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bald-eagle-state-forest) — Pennsylvania, US · Forest - [Cedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cedar-valley-arboretum-and-botanic-gardens) — Iowa, US · Botanical Garden - [Hickory Hill Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hickory-hill-park) — Iowa, US · Nature Reserve - [Historic Moravian Bethlehem Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/historic-moravian-bethlehem-historic-district) — Pennsylvania, US · Historic District [View all places to see creeping thistle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/creeping-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: [Creeping Thistle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/creeping-thistle)