Canada thistle
Prepared by Jennifer L. D’Appollonio, Assistant Scientist, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469. September 2011.
Scientific name: Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.
Common name(s): Canada thistle, Canadian thistle, creeping thistle, cursed thistle
Links: USDA PLANTS Profile, Go Botany
Images: (to see enlargements [PC]: click on image, then right click and choose “view image”)
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- in flower, late July
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- leaves
Description:
-perennial
-leaves are alternate on the stem
- spiny and lobed
-generally flowers July through August in ME
Habitat:
-disturbed areas
-meadows
-fields
Natural History:
-native to Europe
- introduction due to farm seed shipments
Agriculture:
-crowds native species
-reduces crop and forage yields
Source(s):
Heinrich, B. 1976. Flowering phenologies: Bog, woodland, and disturbed habitats. Ecology. 57(5):890-899.
National Invasive Species Information Center. “Canada Thistle.” Terrestrial Plants, USDA, 2020, www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants/canada-thistle.