Cirsium arvense or Creeping Thistle

Many people search and select plants for their flowers or special foliage. But sometimes it is autumn colors, stems changing color, and in this case seeds that are also attractive. Though Cirsium, arvense is grown for a variety of reasons such as feed for cattle, and in some regions, it is even considered a weed and is controlled by trimming it before it flowers, yet it produces a beautiful display of seeds. And birds feed on the seeds.

Cirsium arvense is a herbaceous perennial from the Asteraceae family of plants. It is native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa. They also call it Creeping Thistle, Canada Thistle, Field Thistle, Lettuce from Hell Thistle, California Thistle, Corn Thistle, Cursed Thistle, Green Thistle, Hard Thistle, Prickly Thistle, Small-flowered Thistle, Way Thistle, or Stinger Needles.

It is a high nectar-producing plant and many insects rely on it. Cirsium arvense grows to about 1.5m or 5ft tall. It is invasive as it is very adaptive. Probably it is only appropriate for wildflower gardens. It has four underground root systems, including thick horizontal roots, thick vertical roots, short fine roots, and vertical underground stems. This should not be mistaken for rhizomes, new growth appears on thickened roots.

The stems are branched, leaves are alternate, spiny, and lobed. The flowers attract insects and pollinators. The flowers are compound cyme and pinkish-purple. They are dioecious but sometimes hermaphrodite. You get more seeds when there are many plants near each other. Cirsium arvense grows usually in areas where it is not very hot and there is plenty of water, as it is a C3 carbon fixation plant.