Cirsium horridulum: Country Or Region Of Origin
Eastern U.S.A. to Honduras and Bahamas
Plant Profile: Cirsium horridulum
Taxonomy: Cirsium horridulumNames
Bristle Thistle, Bull Thistle, Horrid Thistle, Purple Thistle, Spiny Thistle, Yellow Thistle
Phonetic Spelling:SIR-see-um hor-id-YOO-lum
Genus:Cirsium
Species:horridulum
Family:Asteraceae
Bull Thistle is a native perennial herb that can reach heights of 2 to 5 feet and is characterized by its spiny structure throughout the plant. Commonly found at the borders of salt marshes, fields, shorelines, savannahs, roadsides, and disturbed areas, it also serves as a weed in southern pastures. This plant thrives particularly well in sandy soils.
Additionally, Bull Thistle is an important nectar source for bees and butterflies, while its seeds provide food for various bird species.
Cirsium horridulum Feature Summary
Cirsium horridulum Image Gallery
Tags
#hummingbirds
#perennial
#wildlife plant
#nectar plant
#specialized bees
#food source
#NC native
#spines
#spiny leaves
#pollinator plant
#native wildflower
#larval host plant
#food source fall
#bird friendly
#food source hard mast fruit
#butterfly friendly
#pollinator garden
#bee friendly
#little metalmark butterfly
#painted lady butterfly
Similar Plants
Cirsium horridulum Feature Summary
Attributes
Eastern U.S.A. to Honduras and Bahamas
AL , AR , CT , DE , FL , GA , LA , MA , MD , ME , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NV , NY , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA
It is the host plant for the Little Metalmark (Calephelis virginiensis), which has three to five broods from March-October, and Painted Lady Butterflies (Vanessa cardui) which have one to three flights in the east from May-October and three to four flights in south Texas from October-April. Flowers are also attractive to hummingbirds and songbirds eat the seeds. Members of the genus Cirsium support the following specialized bees: Melissodes (Heliomelissodes) desponsus, Osmia (Helicosmia) chalybea and Osmia (Helicosmia) texana.
Perennial
Attracts Pollinators
Flowers
3 inch wide yellow and pink to purple disc flower heads atop multi-branched stems. Its spiny bracts may be purple or white. In the south, the blooms tend to be pinks to purples.
Pink
Gold/Yellow
Red/Burgundy
Cream/Tan
Spring
Dome
1-3 inches
Leaves
Basal rosette of leaves can grow 8-24 inches long and are deeply incised and very spiny. The stem leaves are alternate and very spiny.
Deciduous
Green
Pink
Simple
Alternate
Rosulate
Elliptical
Oblanceolate
Lobed
> 6 inches
Prickly
1-3 inches
Stem
Whole Plant Traits
Native Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Herb
Deciduous
Erect
Coarse
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Dry
Coastal
Piedmont
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Fruit
Landscape
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Butterflies
Pollinators
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
Hummingbirds
Weedy
Spines/Thorns
Cirsium horridulum Image Gallery
Cirsium horridulum Attributes
Cirsium horridulum: Distribution
AL , AR , CT , DE , FL , GA , LA , MA , MD , ME , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NV , NY , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA
Cirsium horridulum: Wildlife Value
It is the host plant for the Little Metalmark (Calephelis virginiensis), which has three to five broods from March-October, and Painted Lady Butterflies (Vanessa cardui) which have one to three flights in the east from May-October and three to four flights in south Texas from October-April. Flowers are also attractive to hummingbirds and songbirds eat the seeds. Members of the genus Cirsium support the following specialized bees: Melissodes (Heliomelissodes) desponsus, Osmia (Helicosmia) chalybea and Osmia (Helicosmia) texana.
Cirsium horridulum: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Cirsium horridulum: Play Value
Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer
Cirsium horridulum Flowers
Cirsium horridulum: Flower Description
3 inch wide yellow and pink to purple disc flower heads atop multi-branched stems. Its spiny bracts may be purple or white. In the south, the blooms tend to be pinks to purples.
Cirsium horridulum: Flower Color
Cream/Tan
Gold/Yellow
Pink
Red/Burgundy
Cirsium horridulum: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Cirsium horridulum: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Cirsium horridulum: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Cirsium horridulum: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Cirsium horridulum Leaves
Cirsium horridulum: Leaf Description
Basal rosette of leaves can grow 8-24 inches long and are deeply incised and very spiny. The stem leaves are alternate and very spiny.
Cirsium horridulum: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Cirsium horridulum: Leaf Color
Green
Pink
Cirsium horridulum: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Cirsium horridulum: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Cirsium horridulum: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Cirsium horridulum: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Cirsium horridulum: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Cirsium horridulum: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Cirsium horridulum: Leaf Feel
Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy
Cirsium horridulum: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Cirsium horridulum Stem
Cirsium horridulum: Stem Description
Hairy green stems
Cirsium horridulum: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Cirsium horridulum: Stem Surface
Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)
Cirsium horridulum Whole Plant Traits
Cirsium horridulum: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Cirsium horridulum: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Cirsium horridulum: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Cirsium horridulum: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Cirsium horridulum Cultural Conditions
Cirsium horridulum: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Cirsium horridulum: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Cirsium horridulum: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Cirsium horridulum: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Cirsium horridulum Fruit
Cirsium horridulum: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Cirsium horridulum Landscape
Cirsium horridulum: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Cirsium horridulum: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
Cirsium horridulum: Problems
Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy
