Latin Name: Onopordum acanthium

Flower: Large, purple, thistle-like flower heads that bloom from midsummer to fall.

Leaves: Large, spiny, grey-green leaves covered in dense white woolly hairs.

Stems: Erect, stout, and covered with spines, growing up to 3 meters tall.

Growing Environment: Prefers disturbed soils in fields, pastures, and roadsides.

Growth Habit: A biennial herb that forms a basal rosette in its first year and a tall flowering stalk in its second year. It spreads by seeds and can form dense, spiny stands. In situ, Scotch thistle appears as towering, spiny plants with purple flowers, often in disturbed areas or pastures.