Salsola damascena
Russian thistle
Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: Shrub · Not Native
Salsola damascena (Russian thistle) is a non-native California shrub in the Chenopodiaceae family, recognized by unique shrub growth form.
Russian thistle is a naturalized shrub found in the southeastern Temblor Range in clay soil flats at elevations around 1,000 meters. Flowering from June to October, this plant produces small, inconspicuous flowers with white to tan sepals and narrow wing-like margins. Growing 60 to 100 centimeters tall with extensively branched stems that spread in ascending to erect patterns, it has a distinctive shrubby form with puberulent (slightly hairy) surfaces. Its leaves vary from oblong at the base to ovate toward the top, measuring 3 to 9 millimeters long with obtuse to acute tips. The fruit develops distinctive wings approximately 7 to 11 millimeters in diameter, with multiple opaque wings featuring numerous fine veins.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 0 sympatric species - geographically isolated; unique shrub growth form
Habitat and range
Habitat: Clay soils, flats
Elevation: +- 1000 m.
Outside California: native to Mediterranean, southwestern Asia
Bloom period
Salsola damascena blooms Jun-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Suaeda: Salsola leaves taper to sharp spine tips; Suaeda leaves have soft rounded tips.; vs Amaranthus: Salsola has spine-tipped thread-like leaves; Amaranthus has broad soft leaves without spines.; vs Artemisia: Salsola has spine-tipped succulent leaves; Artemisia has soft, aromatic, often divided gray leaves.; vs Dittrichia: Salsola has spine-tipped cylindrical leaves; Dittrichia has soft sticky leaves and yellow daisy flowers.; vs Eriogonum: Salsola has spine-tipped thread-like leaves; Eriogonum has soft leaves clustered at base with woolly undersides.
Frequently asked questions
Is Salsola damascena native to California?
No. Salsola damascena is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Salsola damascena bloom?
Salsola damascena blooms Jun-Oct.
What plant family does Salsola damascena belong to?
Salsola damascena is in the Chenopodiaceae family, genus Salsola.
What habitat does Salsola damascena grow in?
Salsola damascena grows in Clay soils, flats.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.