Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District
Pasture
Thistle
(Field Thistle)
Cirsium discolor
[C-value
2]
Aster family (Asteraceae)
Blooms August
-
October
The native biennial Pasture Thistle is rare in northern Illinois but is sometimes found in full sun in moist to dry prairies, openings in woodland areas, moist meadows near rivers, roadsides and waste areas. It initially forms a low rosette of large spiny basal leaves, up to 1' across. After the first year, this plants bolts and becomes 2-8' tall with light green stems without spines. The alternate leaves are quite spiny, pinnately-lobed, and up to 9" long and 3" across. Flowerheads are about 2" across and light purple-pink, consisting of numerous disk florets.
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Pasture Thistle at Pickerill/Pigott Forest Preserve August 27, 2013
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Pasture Thistle at Millbrook South Forest Preserve August 27, 2013
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Pasture Thistle at Millbrook South Forest Preserve August 16, 2011
Sphinx Moth at Pasture Thistle at Millbrook South Forest Preserve August 27, 2013
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Orange Sulfur on Pasture Thistle at Maramech Forest Preserve September 5, 2014
Pasture Thistle at Richard Young Forest Preserve September 14, 2013
Pasture Thistle seed heads at Pickerill/Pigott Forest Preserve October 29, 2014
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