Cirsium heterophyllum
melancholy thistle
Overview
Cirsium heterophyllum is an upright perennial thistle 24-48 inches (60-120 cm) tall, spreading slowly by creeping roots to form patches. Unlike most thistles, its stems are unwinged and almost spineless, ridged and clothed in white cottony hairs. The leaves are lance-shaped and toothed, green above and white-felted beneath, with soft bristly margins rather than stout spines; the upper leaves clasp the stem with rounded lobes. Each stem usually carries one to a few red-purple flowerheads 1.2-2 inches (3-5 cm) across from June to August. It grows in damp upland hay meadows, stream banks, open woodland, and roadside verges, mostly on neutral to base-rich soils. It needs cool, moist conditions and fades from hot, dry lowland sites.
Native Range
Native to northern and montane Europe, from the British Isles and Scandinavia through the mountains of central and southern Europe. In Britain it is a plant of the wetter north and west, especially upland hay meadows and stream sides.Suggested Uses
Grown in damp meadows, wildflower and pollinator plantings, stream and pond margins, and the back of moist borders. The red-purple heads draw bees and butterflies through summer. It also features in naturalistic and upland-meadow schemes.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2' - 4'
Width/Spread1'6" - 2'
Bloom Information
Red-purple flowerheads open from June to August, usually one to a few per stem. They are visited by bumblebees, butterflies, and other insects, and ripen into seeds carried on a feathery pappus.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
Green above, white beneathGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight