// SPECIES PROFILE · ANNUAL · NATIVE

Tall Thistle

Cirsium altissimum

Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum) is a annual in the Asteraceae family. Native range includes AR, KS, MO, OK. Hardy in zones 3a–9a. Mature size 58"–12'. Blooms Jul–Sep.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Asteraceae
Group: annual
Native range: Native to 34 U.S. states, including AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL…
USDA hardiness: Zones 3a–9a
Mature size: 58"–12'
Sun: Part shade
Water: —
Bloom: Jul–Sep
Wildlife value: High — pollinator and wildlife support
Ecological role: native non-invasive thistle · butterfly host · bird seed

Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum) — *Cirsium altissimum* — Tall Thistle. Photo by Eric Hunt via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum) is a annual in the Asteraceae family. Native range includes AR, KS, MO, OK. Hardy in zones 3a–9a. Mature size 58"–12'. Blooms Jul–Sep.

Why it's on this list: native non-invasive thistle · butterfly host · bird seed. Native-range data from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (NPIN), cross-checked against iNaturalist observations. Part of Rooted Revival's regional native plant catalog — true natives for Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In the same native range, tall thistle pairs naturally with: Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus), Swamp verbena (Verbena hastata), Slim amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus).