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Taxon  Report  
Cirsium vulgare  (Savi) Ten.
Bull thistle
Cirsium vulgare is a perennial herb that is not native to California.
Cal-IPC rating: moderate
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Observation Search
~15355 records in California
redone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
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Bloom Period
Genus: Cirsium
Family: Asteraceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands: Occurs usually in non wetlands, occasionally in wetlands

Habitat: disturbed

Communities: wetland-riparian, weed, characteristic of disturbed places

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
PLANTSCarduus lanceolatus
PLANTSCarduus vulgaris
PLANTSCirsium lanceolatum var. hypoleucum
PLANTSCirsium lanceolatum
Information about  Cirsium vulgare from other sources

[USDA FEIS] Origins and Introduction: Bull thistle is native to Europe, from Britain and Iberia northward to Scandinavia, eastward to western Asia, and southward to northern Africa. It is found on every continent except Antarctica, although its distribution is confined mostly to the northern and southern temperate zones. Bull thistle is not native to North America. It is thought to have been introduced to eastern North America during colonial times, and to western North America in scattered locations in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Bull thistle is now common throughout the Pacific States, and it is the most common and widespread of pasture and rangeland thistles in western North America. (link added by Jessica Johnston)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 11/12/2024).