Cirsium scariosum var. scariosum

Elk thistle

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Elk thistle is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges in meadows and wet soils at elevations around 1,000 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white flowers in dense clusters with heads 2 to 3.5 centimeters wide. Growing with tall stems 15 to 200 centimeters high, often unbranched and reaching well above surrounding vegetation. Its leaves are uniquely textured, with upper surfaces smooth or sparsely hairy and lower surfaces ranging from smooth to densely woolly. The plant's distinctive involucre features phyllary tips with spines 1 to 8 millimeters long, creating an intricate and textured appearance.

Habitat: Meadows, wet soil

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: +- 1000 m.

Bioregions: KR

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