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Asteraceae
Nodding Thistle
Carduus nutans
Defiance and noble resilience.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Carduus
- Native to
- Europe, Western Asia, North Africa
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- biennial
- Height
- 2-5 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- well-drained, disturbed soils
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 4-9
- Lifespan
- biennial
Did you know
- The heavy flower heads droop or 'nod' under their own weight, giving this thistle its common name.
- A single plant can produce up to 120,000 seeds, making it a prolific and sometimes invasive colonizer.
- Goldfinches are especially fond of thistle seeds and can often be seen clinging to the nodding heads.
- In Australia and North America it is classified as a noxious weed due to its aggressive spread in pastures.
- A biological control weevil (Rhinocyllus conicus) was introduced to control it but controversially attacked native thistles too.
Color meanings
0
defiance
1
nobility
2
independence