Calflora, a 501c3 non-profit
Distribution by County   1503    
Carduus nutans  L.
Musk thistle,   Nodding plumeless thistle
Carduus nutans is a perennial herb that is not native to California.
Cal-IPC rating: moderate
Record Count by County

Alpine: 11 Modoc: 45 San Joaquin: 3 Stanislaus: 1
Calaveras: 4 Nevada: 1573 San Mateo: 1 Sutter: 1
Lassen: 30 Placer: 31 Shasta: 29 Trinity: 1
Los Angeles: 4 Plumas: 16 Sierra: 642
Mariposa: 1 San Bernardino: 14 Siskiyou: 138

Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals, including the Consortium of California Herbaria. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 12/11/2025).