Cynara cardunculus

Artichoke thistle

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Artichoke thistle is a naturalized perennial found in disturbed areas and grasslands, typically between coastal and inland regions at low to moderate elevations. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces striking blue or purple flowers in large thistle-like heads 10 to 15 centimeters in diameter with distinctive spiny involucres. Growing with robust stems 50 to 250 centimeters tall, it forms impressive clumps with a strong, upright structure. Its large leaves extend 30 to 200 centimeters long, deeply lobed with gray or white undersides, featuring oblong to lanceolate segments that are either entire or coarsely toothed with small to needle-like spine tips. The fruit is small, approximately 4 to 8 millimeters long, with a feathery pappus 2 to 4 centimeters in length.

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