# Marsh Thistle (*Cirsium palustre*)

Marsh thistles are tall plants with spiky purple flowers that grow in wet areas. They are important for insects and can be found near ponds and marshes.

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

![Marsh Thistle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cirsium_palustre_inflorescence_-_Niitv%C3%A4lja.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cirsium_palustre_inflorescence_-_Niitv%C3%A4lja.jpg)

## Appearance

The Marsh Thistle has a tall, slender, and distinctly spiny stem, often branching near the top. Its deep purple flower heads are smaller than many other thistles and grow in dense clusters. The leaves are deeply lobed and fiercely spiky.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- It thrives in damp meadows, showing where water is close by.
- Its feathery seed parachutes are called 'thistle-down'.
- Marsh Thistle can grow taller than most kids!
- This plant is a super magnet for bees and butterflies!

## Special abilities

- **Spiny Defender:** Marsh Thistle has sharp spines covering its leaves and stem that help it defend against hungry herbivores.
- **Water Dweller:** Marsh Thistle can grow in very waterlogged soils, thriving where many other plants would struggle to survive.
- **Wind-Rider Seeds:** Marsh Thistle's seeds have feathery parachutes, allowing them to ride the wind and spread to new places.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 50-200 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Biennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Eats:** [European Goldfinch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-goldfinch) (*Carduelis carduelis*) — feasts on its seeds
- **Pollinates:** [Painted Lady](https://www.snappit.app/explore/painted-lady) (*Vanessa cardui*) — visits flowers for nectar

## 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.
- [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.
- [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.
- [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment.
- [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 thistles; their sharp leaves can prick your skin.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Marsh 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 Marsh Thistle?

50-200 cm

### How wide does Marsh Thistle spread?

30-60 cm

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

1-2 cm

### When does Marsh Thistle bloom?

Summer

### Is Marsh Thistle edible?

No

### Is Marsh Thistle toxic?

None

### What is Marsh Thistle's lifecycle?

Biennial

## 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: [Marsh Thistle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/marsh-thistle)