Sonchus arvensis subsp. arvensis

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Perennial sow thistle is a naturalized plant found in southern San Francisco Bay, southern Sacramento Valley (now eradicated), and southern California coastal areas in disturbed, damp soil environments at elevations below 1,800 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces yellow flowers in stalked clusters with glandular-hairy flower heads. Growing with branching stems that can reach moderate heights, it spreads as an agricultural weed in moist agricultural and disturbed landscapes. Its leaves are deeply lobed and arranged alternately along the stem, typical of the sow thistle genus. As an introduced species, it is considered an invasive plant in agricultural and ruderal habitats.

Habitat: Uncommon. Weed in damp soil

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: < 1800 m

Bioregions: s ScV (eradicated), s SnFrB, SCo

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