Canada thistle

(Cirsium arvense)

Conservation Status

Canada thistle
IUCN Red List

not listed

 
NatureServe

NNA - Not applicable

SNA - Not applicable

 
Minnesota

not listed

 
     

Weed Status

   

Prohibited Weed Seed

State Prohibited Control Noxious Weed

 
     

Wetland Indicator Status

 

Great Plains

FACU - Facultative upland

 
Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

 
Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

 

Description

 

 

Height

12 to 48

 

Flower Color

Pink

 

Similar Species

 

Habitat

Disturbed sites. Fields, pastures, roadsides, waste places.

Ecology

Flowering

June to October

 

Pests and Diseases

Canada thistle bud weevil (Larinus carlinae) larvae feed in the flower bud and feed on the developing seeds.

Canada thistle stem gall fly (Urophora cardui)

PST (Pseudomonas syringae pv. tagetis) is a bacterum that causes whitened plant growth (chlorosis) on only the upper portion of the plant. It results in stunted growth, fewer shoots, and inhibition of flowering.

Use

 

Distribution

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 5, 7, 22, 24, 28, 29, 30.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 9/12/2025).

9/12/2025    
     

Nativity

Native to western Asia and Europe. Introduced and naturalized in North America.
 

Occurrence

Common and widespread

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae (green algae and land plants)

Subkingdom

Viridiplantae (green plants)

Infrakingdom

Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)

Superdivision

Embryophyta (land plants)

Division

Tracheophyta (vascular plants)

Subdivision

Spermatophytina (seed plants) / Angiospermae (flowering plants)

Class

Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)

Superorder

Asteranae

Order

Asterales (sunflowers, bellflowers, fanflowers, and allies)

Family

Asteraceae (sunflowers, daisies, asters, and allies)

Subfamily

Carduoideae (thistles and allies)

Tribe

Cardueae

Subtribe

Carduinae (thistles and burdocks)

Genus

Cirsium (plume thistles)

   

Subordinate Taxa

Some sources recognize two or more varieties. Most sources do not recognize any, including Flora of North America.

Numerous variants of Cirsium arvense have been named based upon such features as pubescence, extent of leaf division, and spininess. Although extreme variants can be strikingly different, they are connected by such a web of intermediates that there seems to be little value in according any of them formal taxonomic recognition.
— Flora of North America
 

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense var. alpestre)

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense var. arvense)

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense var. horridum)

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense var. integrifolium)

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense var. vestitum)

   

Synonyms

Carduus arvensis

Cirsium arvense var. argenteum

Cirsium arvense var. horridum

Cirsium arvense var. integrifolium

Cirsium arvense var. mite

Cirsium arvense var. vestitum

Cirsium incanum

Cirsium setosum

Serratula arvensis

   

Common Names

boar thistle

California thistle

Canada thistle

Canadian thistle

creeping thistle

perennial thistle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visitor Photos

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Dan W. Andree

Pseudomonas syringae pv. tagetis (Pst)

Whitish Thistle...

Seen thistle with whitish areas on like this along a few rural roadside ditches and along the edge of Sandpiper Prairie SNA end of Aug. 2025.

Alfredo Colon

Canada thistle

Bill Reynolds

Canada thistle

My old field is about to burst out in thistle bloom. I know the Canadian Thistle is on the invasive list, but I let my bees work it then I start cutting the blooms from before they can go to seed.

MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

Canada thistle   Canada thistle
 

Inflorescence

 

 

 

 

Plant

 

 

     
Canada thistle   Canada thistle

Flower heads

 

Flower heads

     
Canada thistle   Canada thistle

Flower heads

 

Flower head

     
Canada thistle   Canada thistle

Leaves

 

Fruiting heads

     
Canada thistle   Canada thistle

Fruiting heads

 

Fruiting heads

 

Camera

Slideshows

Creeping Thistle
Wez Smith

About

Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense).

Cirsium arvense
Matt Lavin

About

Introduced rhizomatous perennial often about 1 m tall, with relatively small flowering heads (involucre less than 2 cm high), leaves not densely woolly on either the upper or lower surface, moist disturbed sites from low elevation open areas to open montane understory.

Canada Thistle
Andree Reno Sanborn

About

Cirsium arvense

Cirsium arvense FIELD THISTLE
Frank Mayfield

 

slideshow

Visitor Videos

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Other Videos

Canada Thistle, identification of the Wisconsin Invasive Species Cirsium arvense
uwcoopextension

About

Uploaded on Jan 31, 2011

This is part of a series of videos providing key characteristics for the identification of invasive plants listed in Wisconsin's invasive species administrative rule NR 40. These videos are produced by Dr. Mark Renz of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For more information on invasive plants and invasive plant management in Wisconsin visit http://ipcm.wisc.edu/Publications/WeedSciencepublications/tabid/116/Default.aspx

Weed of the Week #597-Canada Thistle (From Ag PhD #597 9/13/09)
AgPhD

About

Uploaded on Sep 21, 2009

Good things from Canada: Rush, Justin Morneau, Tuquks. Bad things from Canada: Anne Murrary, Canada Thistle. Just kidding about Canada Thistle. We'll show you how to kill this weed in this week's weed of the week.

Canada Thistle - Phenology Note w John Latimer
NowWatchingKAXE

About

Uploaded on Aug 11, 2009

KAXE Phenologist John Latimer talks about the Canada Thistle, one of two common types of tall thistle in Northern MN.

The Invaders: Canada Thistle
UMDHGIC

About

Uploaded on Aug 13, 2009

Professional Horticulturist and Master Gardener Ellen Nibali identifies the Canada Thistle (cirsium arvense) and explains how to remove this invasive plant from your garden.

Click here to read our publication on invasive species for even more information: http://www.hgic.umd.edu/_media/documents/publications/hg88.pdf

This video is brought to you by the Home and Garden Information Center, part of University of Maryland Extension. Learn about our Grow It Eat It campaign, which provides resources and encourages people to start their own food gardens. http://www.growit.umd.edu/

Check out our facebook page for more gardening advice: http://www.facebook.com/UMDHGIC#!/GIEIMaryland

Intro Credit: "Invasion of the Body Snatchers: (1956); Allied Artists. Music and shot of woman screaming used here in accordance with Fair Use.

Shot and Edited by: Alix Watson and Emily Heimsoth

 

Camcorder

Visitor Sightings

Report a sighting of this insect.

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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.

Dan W. Andree
Late August 2025

Location: Sandpiper Prairie SNA

Seen thistle with whitish areas on like this along a few rural roadside ditches and along the edge of Sandpiper Prairie SNA end of Aug. 2025.

Pseudomonas syringae pv. tagetis (Pst)

Alfredo Colon
8/4/2019

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

Canada thistle

Bill Reynolds
7/3/2014

Location: Pennington County

My old field is about to burst out in thistle bloom.  I know the Canadian Thistle is on the invasive list, but I let my bees work it then I start cutting the blooms from before they can go to seed.

Canada thistle

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Binoculars