Cirsium altissimum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cirsium altissimum |
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| Genus: |
Cirsium
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| Species: |
altissimum
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Cirsium altissimum is a plant from North America. It is often called the tall thistle or roadside thistle. This plant is part of the sunflower family. It grows naturally in the eastern and central United States. You can find it from Massachusetts all the way to North Dakota. It also grows south to Texas and the Florida Panhandle.
Discovering the Tall Thistle
What the Tall Thistle Looks Like
Cirsium altissimum is a very tall plant. It can grow up to 400 centimeters (about 13 feet) high. That's taller than most people! This plant is a biennial or perennial. This means it lives for two years or more. It blooms only once before it dies.
Its leaves have jagged edges. They also have small, fine spines along the sides. Sometimes, a tall thistle has only one flower head. But usually, it has many more. The flowers are often pink or purple. Sometimes, they can be white. These flowers have disc florets. They do not have ray florets.
Where the Tall Thistle Grows
This plant likes to grow in open areas. You can find it in prairies. It also grows in open woodlands. Sometimes, it appears in places where the ground has been disturbed. This could be along roadsides or in fields.
