Queen Anne's thistle
ExplorePlants
Queen Anne's thistle
Cirsium canum
Queen Anne's thistle is a beautiful flower with spiky leaves and bright purple blooms. It attracts butterflies and bees, making gardens lively and colorful!
Habitat: Grasslands
Appearance
The Queen Anne's thistle has stout, often hairy stems with deeply lobed, spiny, greyish-green leaves that run down the stem. Its round flower heads are vibrant purple or reddish-purple, resembling fluffy pom-poms, often emerging singly or in small clusters from spiny bracts.
KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderAsteralesFamilyAsteraceaeGenusCirsium
Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
Be the first to snap!
Interesting facts
Wow, busy bees and bright butterflies love to sip nectar from its sweet purple flowers!
Wow, goldfinches adore its dried seed heads, pecking out the tasty seeds for a snack!
Wow, its seeds have special fluffy tufts, like tiny parachutes, to fly in the wind!
Wow, this thistle can grow taller than some kids, reaching up to 2 meters high!
Special abilities
Ability
Spiny Defender
Queen Anne's thistle has sharp spines on its leaves and stems that help it defend against hungry animals trying to eat it.
Ability
Deep Drinker
Queen Anne's thistle can grow a long taproot that helps it find water deep underground and survive during dry periods.
Ability
Wind Sailor
Queen Anne's thistle has seeds with tiny feathery parachutes (pappus) that help them float far away on the wind to new places.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 50-200 cm
- Spread
- 30-60 cm
- Flower Size
- 2-4 cm
- Bloom Season
- Summer
- Edible
- No
- Toxicity
- None
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Pollination Method
- Insect
Ecological connections
pollinates
Common carder bee
Bombus pascuorum
Gathers nectar from flowers.
eats
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelis
Feeds on mature thistle seeds.
depends on
Thistle weevil
Lixus iridis
Larvae bore into its stems.
Traits
Flowering
Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
Summer Blooming
Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
Fragrant Flower
Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
Colorful
Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
Grassland
Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
Pollinator Magnet
Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
Spiky/Thorny
Possessing sharp, pointed projections or spines on the body or surface.
Also known as
No aliases listed yet.
Collections
Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Always look but don't touch the spiky leaves to stay safe!
Frequently Asked Questions
How to identify Queen Anne's thistle?
The easiest way to identify Queen Anne's thistle is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.
How tall is Queen Anne's thistle?
50-200 cm
How wide does Queen Anne's thistle spread?
30-60 cm
How big are the flowers on Queen Anne's thistle?
2-4 cm
When does Queen Anne's thistle bloom?
Summer
Is Queen Anne's thistle edible?
No
Is Queen Anne's thistle toxic?
None
What is Queen Anne's thistle's lifecycle?
Perennial
Snap Map
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