USDA and NRCS Identifier NRCS Logo
USDA.gov Web Site PLANTS photo banner
PLANTS Home about PLANTS PLANTS Team Partners of PLANTS What's New at PLANTS National Plant Data Center Web Site Help using PLANTS Contact PLANTS
 
 Search the PLANTS Web site
 Name Search

PLANTS Topics
 
 
PLANTS Image Gallery
 
 
Download PLANTS data
 
 
Related tools
 
 
 
You are here: Home / PLANTS Profile Printer-Friendly Printer-Friendly
PLANTS Profile
Florida Georgia Hawaii Louisiana Mississippi Oklahoma South Carolina Texas Puerto Rico Virgin Islands Labrador Nunavut

 

Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.
Canada thistle

       
Symbol:    
Group:    
Family:    
Duration:    
Growth Habit:    
Native Status:  
  
  
  
  
  



Click on the image below to enlarge it and download a high-resolution JPEG file.
Photo of Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.
Robert H. Mohlenbrock. USDA NRCS. 1992. Western wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. West Region, Sacramento. Courtesy of USDA NRCS Wetland Science Institute. Usage Requirements.
 
More Information:
 

Images:
Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.

Click on a thumbnail to view an image, or see all the Cirsium thumbnails at the PLANTS Gallery
View a larger version of this image and Profile page for Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. View a larger version of this image and Profile page for Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. View a larger version of this image and Profile page for Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. View a larger version of this image and Profile page for Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. View a larger version of this image and Profile page for Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. View a larger version of this image and Profile page for Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. View a larger version of this image and Profile page for Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. View a larger version of this image and Profile page for Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.
 

Synonyms:
Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.

  BRAR20 Breea arvensis (L.) Less.
  BRIN18 Breea incana (S.G. Gmel.) W.A. Weber, ined.
  CAAR29 Carduus arvensis (L.) Robson
  CIARA3 Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. var. argenteum (Vest) Fiori
  CIARH Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. var. horridum Wimm. & Grab.
  CIARI2 Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. var. integrifolium Wimm. & Grab.
  CIARM Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. var. mite Wimm. & Grab.
  CIARV Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. var. vestitum Wimm. & Grab.
  CIIN7 Cirsium incanum (S.G. Gmel.) Fisch. ex M. Bieb.
  CISE Cirsium setosum (Willd.) Besser ex M. Bieb.
  SEAR12 Serratula arvensis L.
 

Distribution:
Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.

View Native Status
Distribution Map Legend

See U.S. county distributions (when available) by clicking on the map or the linked states below:

USA (AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY), CAN (AB, BC, MB, NB, NF, NS, NT, ON, PE, QC, SK, YT), DEN (GL), FRA (SPM)
 

Related Taxa:
Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.

View 477 genera in Asteraceae, 95 species in Cirsium
 

Classification:
Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.

Click on a scientific name below to expand it in the PLANTS Classification Report.
   
Kingdom Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass Asteridae
Order Asterales
Family Asteraceae – Aster family
Genus Cirsium Mill. – thistle
Species Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. – Canada thistle
 

Noxious Weed Information:
Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.

This plant and the related entities italicized and indented below are listed by the U.S. federal government or a state. Common names are from state and federal lists. Click on a place name to get a complete noxious weed list for that location, or click here for a composite list of all Federal and State Noxious Weeds.

Alaska:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Arizona:
Canada thistle              Prohibited noxious weed
Arkansas:
Cirsium
thistle              Noxious weed
California:
Canada thistle              B list (noxious weeds)
Colorado:
Canada thistle              B list (noxious weeds)
Connecticut:
Canada thistle              Potentially invasive, banned
Delaware:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Hawaii:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Idaho:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Illinois:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Indiana:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Iowa:
Canada thistle              Primary noxious weed
Cirsium
thistle              Primary noxious weed
Kansas:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Kentucky:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Maryland:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Michigan:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Minnesota:
Canada thistle              Prohibited noxious weed
Missouri:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Montana:
Canada thistle              Category 1 noxious weed
Nebraska:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Nevada:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
New Mexico:
Canada thistle              Class A noxious weed
North Carolina:
Canada thistle              Class B noxious weed
North Dakota:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Ohio:
Canada thistle              Prohibited noxious weed
Oklahoma:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Oregon:
Canada thistle              "B" designated weed
Canada thistle              Quarantine
Pennsylvania:
Canadian thistle              Noxious weed
South Dakota:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Canada thistle              Regulated non-native plant species
Utah:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Washington:
Canada thistle              Class C noxious weed
Wisconsin:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
Wyoming:
Canada thistle              Noxious weed
 

U.S. Weed Information:
Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.

Californian thistle
Canada thistle
creeping thistle
field thistle
Cirsium
thistle

This plant and the related entity italicized and indented above can be weedy or invasive according to the authoritative sources noted below. This plant may be known by one or more common names in different places, and some are listed above. Click on an acronym to view each weed list, or click here for a composite list of Weeds of the U.S.

STATE        Assorted authors. 200_. State noxious weed lists for 46 states. State agriculture or natural resource departments.
Cal-IPC        California Invasive Plant Council. 2006. California Invasive Plant Inventory. Cal-IPC Publication 2006-02 (February 2007). California Invasive Plant Council. Berkeley, California.
N'EAST        Uva, R.H., J.C. Neal, & J.M. DiTomaso. 1997. Weeds of the Northeast. Cornell University Press. Ithaca, New York. 397pp.
NE&GP        Stubbendieck, J., G.Y. Friisoe, & M.R. Bolick. 1994. Weeds of Nebraska and the Great Plains. Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry. Lincoln, Nebraska. 589pp.
SEEPPC        Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council. 1996. Invasive exotic pest plants in Tennessee (19 October 1999). Research Committee of the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council. Tennessee.
SWSS        Southern Weed Science Society. 1998. Weeds of the United States and Canada. CD-ROM. Southern Weed Science Society. Champaign, Illinois.
WI        Hoffman, R. & K. Kearns (eds.). 1997. Wisconsin manual of control recommendations for ecologically invasive plants. Wisconsin Dept. Natural Resources. Madison, Wisconsin. 102pp.
WSWS        Whitson, T.D. (ed.) et al. 1996. Weeds of the West. Western Society of Weed Science in cooperation with Cooperative Extension Services, University of Wyoming. Laramie, Wyoming. 630pp.
 

Introduced Information:
Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.

This plant is introduced to some part of the PLANTS Floristic Area, though it may be native in other parts. Click on link below for a partial or complete list of PFA introduced plants.

Scientific Name= A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | all
Common Name= A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | all
 

Wetland Indicator Status:
Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.

Nat. Ind. Reg. 1 Reg. 2 Reg. 3 Reg. 4 Reg. 5 Reg. 6 Reg. 7 Reg. 8 Reg. 9 Reg. 0 Reg. A Reg. C Reg. H
FACU-,FAC FACU FACU+ FACU FACU FACU NO FACU- FACU FACU+ FAC- FAC NO FACU-
Interpreting Wetland Indicator Status
 

More Accounts and Images:
Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.

View photographs from CalPhotos.

View species account from USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information System (FEIS).

View species account from ARS Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

View taxonomic account from Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) for ITIS Taxonomic Serial Number 36335.

View species account and distribution map from Jepson Interchange (University of California - Berkeley).

View species account from Native American Ethnobotany (University of Michigan - Dearborn).

View photographs and distribution from University of Tennessee Herbarium.

View species account, photographs, and distribution from University of Washington Burke Museum.

View species account and photographs from University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Freckmann Herbarium.

 

Related Web Sites:
Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.

Arizona: abstract & image of Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense)

CO-CSU Extension Fact Sheet

CO-Douglas County Weed Education

Canada-Invasive Exotic Plant Fact Sheets

Colorado Plant Talk: Canada thistle

Colorado-Douglas County: Integrated weed management of Canada thistle

IL-Vegetation Management Guidelines (Nature Preserve Commission)

Idaho One Plan: noxious abstract & images

Illinois Nature Preserve Commission: Canada thistle

KS-Noxious Weeds in Kansas

MO-Missouri Vegetation Management Manual

MT-Center for Invasive Plant Management

Montana WOW: Canada thistle

NE-University of Nebraska Weed Publications

NPCI Alien Plant Working Group: abstract & image

NV-Extension Weed Wanted Posters

NebGuide: Canada thistle

OK-OSU Extension-Thistles and their Identification

Ohio State University: Identifying noxious weeds

Purdue University: Control practices for Canada thistle

Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food: weed identification

The Nature Conservancy: Wildland Weeds Management & Research Program

UC Davis, IPM: abstract & images

UT-Concepts of Biological Control

UT-Unwanted Weeds-Utah Department of Transportation

UT-Utah's 17 Most Noxious Weeds

VA-Invasive Alien Plant Species of Virginia

Victoria - Natural Resources & Environment: Landcare Notes

Virginia Native Plant Society: Canada thistle

WA-Noxious Weed List & Information

Weed Science Society of America

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: abstract

 
 
Time Generated: 10/05/2008 11:46 AM MDT