Cirsium carolinianum

Product Info

Carolina Thistle (Cirsium carolinianum)
Aster Family

Carolina Thistle is a biennial thistle native to the southeastern and eastern United States. While thistles are often overlooked by gardeners because of their spines, Carolina Thistle is a valuable addition to the garden for both its beauty and ecological value. The spines are relatively soft compared to many other thistles. Like other biennials, it forms a basal rosette during its first year, then sends up a tall flowering stem with relatively few spines in its second year before setting seed and completing its life cycle. Blue-green foliage with striking white undersides and bright purple flowers add structure and color to the garden. The flowers are a valuable nectar source for a diversity of bees, butterflies, and moths, while the seeds are an important food source for birds, particularly in larger prairie and grassland habitats. Carolina Thistle is naturally found in sunny, open areas including fields, prairies, and woodland edges. In cultivation, it is well suited to pollinator gardens, naturalized plantings, and prairie-style gardens.

Blooms: Purple, 3-5 weeks, June-August
Leaves: Blue-green, deeply lobed foliage with soft spines and bright white undersides
Height: 3-4' 
Space: 2-3'
Soil: Average-Dry
Exposure: Full sun-Part sun
Fauna: High value-- Bees, butterflies, moths, birds
Deer Resistance: High
Zone: 4-9
Seeds: Small brown seeds with white, feathery hairs
Native Status: NC Native, rare in the Piedmont and Mountains
Provenance: Unknown, seed grown