Canada Thistle

Cirsium arvense

Growth Habitat: Perennial, grows up to 4 feet tall.

Leaves: Deeply toothed with spines, hairy on underside, varies from plant to plant.

Stems: Smooth to slightly hairy, branched at top.

Flowers: Small bristly cluster, 3/8 to 5/8 inches in diameter, light lavender to deep rose purple, male or female.

Roots: Extensive creeping horizontal roots up to 16 feet long and 2 to 22 feet deep.

Seeds: Produces 9,300 seeds per plant, viable up to 22 years.

Reproduces: Vegetatively from horizontal creeping roots or from seeds.

Habitat: Found in meadows, roadsides, native grasslands, pastures, and waste places.