Cirsium scariosum
Meadow thistle, Meadow Thistle
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Cirsium scariosum (Meadow thistle) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by 50 congeners; often stemless or short-stemmed, heads nested in a basal rosette; montane meadows (SN, CaR, Wrn, s mtns).
Meadow thistle is a California native perennial herb found in open meadows and grasslands at varied elevations. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces white to purple flowers in dense heads 2 to 5 centimeters wide with delicate, feathery petals. Growing 50 to 100 centimeters tall with often short or occasionally bushy-branched stems that are fleshy and sparsely hairy, the plant develops a distinctive rosette of leaves. Its leaves are primarily basal, oblong to oblanceolate, with spiny edges and deep lobes, ranging from unlobed to complex with secondary teeth. The flower heads are typically clustered closely at stem tips, subtended by a basal rosette of leaves, with involucral bracts featuring distinctive spine-tipped edges.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 50 congeners; often stemless or short-stemmed, heads nested in a basal rosette; montane meadows (SN, CaR, Wrn, s mtns)
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 scariosum native to California?
Yes. Cirsium scariosum is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Cirsium scariosum belong to?
Cirsium scariosum is in the Asteraceae family, genus Cirsium.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Cirsium scariosum var. americanum — Dinnerplate thistle
- Cirsium scariosum var. citrinum — Southern meadow thistle
- Cirsium scariosum var. congdonii — Rosette thistle
- Cirsium scariosum var. loncholepis — La graciosa thistle
- Cirsium scariosum var. robustum — Shasta valley thistle
- Cirsium scariosum var. scariosum — Elk 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.