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Light Requirements: full sun/part shade

Soil Moisture: medium

Bloom Color: purple

Bloom Time: August-October

Height: 6 ft.

Deer Resistant? Yes

Black Walnut tolerant? Not sure

Local Ecotype Available? No

New York Flora Distribution Map

Pasture Thistle (Cirsium discolor)

From $6.00

I'm a Tompkins County, NY native.

Many people don't seem to appreciate us much, but we benefit many bees, butterflies, moths and even hummingbirds. Goldfinches particularly enjoy our seeds.

You can tell we're a native thistle from the white undersides of our leaves. Non-native thistles don't have the white undersides. We are also less prickly than the non-native and more weedy thistles.

I'm a biennial or short lived thistle and don't spread by rhizomes.

I'm the larval host of the Painted Lady butterfly.

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