Cirsium fontinale
Fountain thistle
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Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Cirsium fontinale (Fountain thistle) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by 50 congeners; narrow serpentine-seep endemic of a few SF Bay sites + SLO Co.; strongly wavy velvety-and-cobwebby leaves.
The fountain thistle is a California native perennial herb found in coastal areas at elevations of low to moderate heights. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces white to pink or lavender flowers in nodding heads 2 to 5 centimeters wide with distinctive green to purple involucres. Growing with erect stems 50 to 200 centimeters tall, it develops multiple stems with strongly wavy leaves covered in short, erect, jointed hairs. Its leaves are velvety and cobwebby, especially underneath, with proximal leaves having spiny-lobed edges and main spines 1 to 10 millimeters long. The fruit is 3.4 to 5 millimeters long, topped with a pappus 12 to 15 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 50 congeners; narrow serpentine-seep endemic of a few SF Bay sites + SLO Co.; strongly wavy velvety-and-cobwebby leaves
How to tell it apart
vs Carduus: Cirsium has fluffy, feathery seed tufts; Carduus has rough bristles or no pappus and continuous spiny wings down the stem.; vs Silybum: Cirsium leaves are plain green; Silybum has bright white marbling along the leaf veins.; vs Sonchus: Cirsium has thistle-type flowers with spine-tipped bracts; Sonchus has dandelion-like flowers and milky sap.; vs Cynara: Cirsium heads are 1-6 cm across; Cynara heads are massive (4-15 cm, tennis ball sized) with fleshy bases.; vs Centaurea: Cirsium has linear bracts without appendages; Centaurea bracts have fringed or comb-like tips.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cirsium fontinale native to California?
Yes. Cirsium fontinale is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Cirsium fontinale belong to?
Cirsium fontinale is in the Asteraceae family, genus Cirsium.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Cirsium fontinale var. campylon — Mount hamilton thistle
- Cirsium fontinale var. fontinale — Fountain thistle
- Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense — Chorro creek bog thistle
- Cirsium hydrophilum — Suisun thistle
- Cirsium hydrophilum var. hydrophilum — Suisun thistle
- Cirsium hydrophilum var. vaseyi — Mount tamalpais thistle
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.