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Cirsium scariosum  Nutt.
Dwarf thistle,   Elk thistle
© 2020 Bob Sweatt
© 2022 Melissa Harbert
© 2023 Ryan O'Dell
© 2020 Bob Sweatt
© 2020 Bob Sweatt
© 2022 Charles Russell
© 2024 Ron Vanderhoff
© 2024 Ron Vanderhoff
© 2019 Bonnie Nickel
© 2019 Bonnie Nickel
© 2021 R.A. Chasey
© 2024 Ron Vanderhoff
© 2024 Kyle Suchy
© 2024 Kyle Suchy
© 2015 Steve Matson
© 2022 Steve Matson
© 2021 Patricia Vasquez
© 2020 Bob Sweatt
© 2014 Steve Matson
© 2015 Steve Matson
Cirsium scariosum is a perennial herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in North America and beyond.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Subspecies and Varieties:
Genus: Cirsium
Family: Asteraceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands: Equally likely to occur in wetlands and non wetlands

Communities: Sagebrush Scrub, Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Lodgepole Forest, Subalpine Forest, Southern Oak Woodland

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS + POWO

Alternate Names:
PLANTSCarduus americanus
PLANTSCarduus coloradensis
PLANTSCirsium Xerosum
PLANTSCirsium acaule var. americanum
PLANTSCirsium acaulescens
More …
Information about  Cirsium scariosum from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (CISC2)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Plant Form: It takes three main forms, a stemless, flat rosette with a cluster of flower heads in the centre, a mounding form with a short, erect stem, or a fully erect form reaching up to 200 cm (79 in) in height. When there is a stem it is usually fleshy, ridged, and woolly in texture. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 03/28/2025).