Cirsium remotifolium var. rivulare

Klamath thistle

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Klamath thistle is a California native perennial found in northern northwestern California in grassy areas, woodland openings, and forest habitats at elevations below 750 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces purple flowers in thistle heads with delicate linear phyllaries edged with tiny spreading spines. Growing with upright stems to moderate height, it develops robust branching characteristic of thistles. Its leaves feature intricate serrated edges typical of the Cirsium genus, with potential variation between lower and upper stem foliage. The flower's purple corolla spans 19 to 25 millimeters long, with a distinctive tube and lobed structure creating an elegant botanical profile.

Habitat: Grassy areas, openings in woodland, forest

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: < 750 m

Bioregions: n NW

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