Phonetic: SIR-see-um DIS-kol-or
Our native thistles tend to get grouped into the undesirable Thistle category, but they benefit many different bees, butterflies, and moths, along with hummingbirds. Pasture Thistle, also called Field Thistle, is a biennial or short-lived perennial. It has a central taproot so does not spread by rhizomes. The most important pollinators of the flowers are bumblebees, digger bees, leaf-cutting bees, Monarchs, Fritillaries, Painted Ladies, Swallowtails, and Sulfurs. Sphinx moths and bee flies also visit the flowers for nectar. The caterpillars of the Painted Lady feed on the foliage. Among vertebrate animals, the Eastern Goldfinch eats the seeds and uses the tufts of hair as lining material in its nests.
- Hardiness Zones: 3-9
- Native Region: USDA Plant Database
- Sun Exposure: Full to partial sun
- Flower Color: Purple
- Bloom Time: August, September, October
- Soil Type: Medium to medium dry
- Mature Plant Size: 6' Height, 1-2' Width
- Plant Spacing: 1'
- Host Plant: Painted Lady
- Attracts: Bees, Birds, Butterflies
- Advantages: Excellent pollinator/nectar plant
- Landscape Uses: Meadow restoration, naturalized
- Companion Plants: New York Ironweed, Showy Goldenrod, Yellow Coneflower
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