Latin Name: Cirsium vulgare

Flower: Large, purple, thistle-like flower heads that bloom from mid to late summer.

Leaves: Deeply lobed with spiny margins, covered with fine hairs, and extremely prickly to the touch.

Stems: Erect, stout, and spiny, often branching near the top, growing up to 1.5 meters tall.

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

Growth Habit: A biennial herb that can grow up to 1.5 meters tall. In its first year, it forms a basal rosette of spiny leaves, and in the second year, it sends up a tall, branching flowering stem covered in spines. The plant often forms dense, impenetrable thickets. In situ, it creates large, spiny patches that dominate pastures and disturbed areas, making them difficult to access.