Carduus nutans
Musk thistle
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Carduus nutans (Musk thistle) is a non-native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by large solitary nodding heads and largest flowers/seeds.
Musk thistle is a naturalized biennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada, southern California coastal areas, San Bernardino Mountains, Modoc Plateau, and Mojave Desert in roadsides, pastures, and disturbed areas at elevations of 100 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from June to July, this thistle produces distinctive purple flowers in large nodding heads up to 7 centimeters in diameter. Growing 40 to 150 centimeters tall with narrowly spiny-winged stems that are glabrous to woolly, it forms impressive clusters of dramatic flower heads. Its basal leaves are large, 10 to 40 centimeters long, with 1 to 2 pinnately lobed segments that are deeply cut and spiny. The fruit is small, 4 to 5 millimeters long, with a golden to brown color and a pappus 13 to 25 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species; distinguished by large solitary nodding heads and largest flowers/seeds
Habitat and range
Habitat: Roadsides, pastures, disturbed areas
Elevation: 100-2100 m
Outside California: North America, native to Europe
Bloom period
Carduus nutans blooms Jun-Jul.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Silybum: Carduus has spiny-winged stems and plain leaves; Silybum has smooth stems and white-marbled leaves.; vs Cirsium: Carduus has continuous spiny wings down stems and rough seed bristles; Cirsium lacks stem wings and has feathery seed plumes.; vs Centaurea: Carduus has spiny-winged stems; Centaurea stems lack spiny wings and have bracts with fringed appendages.; vs Sonchus: Carduus has spiny-winged stems and thistle flowers; Sonchus has hollow stems with milky sap and dandelion-like flowers.; vs Blitum: Carduus is a spiny thistle with purple flower heads; Blitum is in the goosefoot family with tiny clustered flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Carduus nutans native to California?
No. Carduus nutans is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Carduus nutans bloom?
Carduus nutans blooms Jun-Jul.
What plant family does Carduus nutans belong to?
Carduus nutans is in the Asteraceae family, genus Carduus.
Is Carduus nutans invasive in California?
Carduus nutans is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
What habitat does Carduus nutans grow in?
Carduus nutans grows in Roadsides, pastures, disturbed areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.