Pronounced (approximate): SIR-see-um vul-GAIR-ee
Purple flower heads sit above stiff spiny bracts. Deeply lobed leaves end in sharp spines.
Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare): flower details. Tap the photo to open the gallery.
Family Asteraceae
Life cycle Biennial
Blooms June–October
Height 2 to 6 feet
Habitat sun; dry fields, roadsides, railroads, waste areas, disturbed soils
Common names: Bull Thistle
Bloom timing varies with latitude, weather and local conditions.
Explore reported observations. Sightings are not a complete range map.
sun; dry fields, roadsides, railroads, waste areas, disturbed soils. Flowering season: June–October.
Native thistles vary in leaf and bract armature. Bull Thistle combines conspicuous spiny stem wings with a strongly spiny flower-head base.
Purple flower heads sit above stiff spiny bracts.
Deeply lobed leaves end in sharp spines.
Spiny wings run down the flowering stems. Pair close views with a photograph of the whole plant.
4 field photographs. Select a photograph to enlarge it; use Load more photos to see the rest.
Introduced in North America; native to Europe.
Reported U.S. distribution
AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY
Includes native and introduced state records where listed; a state record does not imply occurrence in every county.
Observation maps show submitted records, not every place the plant occurs. Follow local access rules when visiting a site.
Practice recognizing Bull Thistle in the flower quiz, or compare it with other plants in the guide.
Field photographs: Where’s Wildlife.