Cirsium occidentale var. lucianum

Cuesta ridge thistle, Cuesta Ridge Thistle

Family: Asteraceae · Type: biennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Cuesta ridge thistle is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native biennial found in the southern Santa Lucia Range in San Luis Obispo County, inhabiting chaparral and woodland openings, often on serpentine at elevations of 500 to 750 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces striking red to dark red-purple flowers in large heads 2 to 4 centimeters in diameter, elevated well above the leaves. Growing with erect stems 30 to 200 centimeters tall, it develops an impressive, widely ovoid thistle structure with long-stalked flower heads. Its leaves are thinly cobwebby, with phyllary tips 5 to 8 millimeters long that are either straight or gently curved at the tips. The plant's distinctive red flowers and serpentine habitat make it a remarkable example of California's unique botanical diversity.

Habitat: Chaparral, woodland or forest openings, often on serpentine

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: 500-750 m

Bioregions: s SCoRO (s Santa Lucia Range, San Luis Obispo Co.).

California counties: San Luis Obispo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.