Image of Cirsium discolor
image of Flowering plant
Cirsium discolor
Field thistle
Chardon discolore

Obsolete Names

  • pasture thistle
  • circe discolore
No seeds available for this plant.

We are not accepting seeds for this plant at the moment.

Bloom colour: Purple Bloom period: August - October
Max Height: 6.0 feet
Max Width: 2.0 feet
Light condition:
Full sun More than 6 hours of direct sun a day
Part shade More than 2 or 3 hours but less than 6 hours of direct sun a day
Soil conditions:
Moisture medium Tolerates medium soil condition
Lifespan : Biennial
Gardener Experience:
does not spread Does not spread uncontrollably
plant germinate easy Easy to germinate
Landscape uses:
rock garden Suitable for rock gardens
shoreline_rehab Suitable for shoreline rehabilitation
Ecological Benefits:
Pollinator garden Supports pollinators
butterfly host Butterfly host
bee host Bee host
Tolerates:
limestone Tolerant Tolerates limestone conditions

Plant Distribution

Native to Ottawa region: Yes

Distribution according to VASCAN

Distribution: Cirsium discolor
Ephemeral Native Introduced Excluded Extirpated Doubtful Absent
View taxonomy on Canadensys

View on iNaturalist

Thrives in Ecozones

  • Atlantic Maritime
  • Ecozone-Mixed Wood Plain
  • Ecozone-Boreal Shield
  • Ecozone-Boreal_Plains
  • Atlantic_Maritime

Butterflies Supported by Cirsium discolor

No butterfly data available for this plant.

Bees Supported by Cirsium discolor

  • Megachile inimica
  • Megachile pugnata
  • Melissodes agilis
  • Melissodes desponsus
  • Melissodes subillatus
  • Osmia chalybea
  • Osmia texana

Complementary Plants Plants that grow in similar conditions, that bloom at the same time.

  • No complementary plants found.

Sowing Information

  • Sowing depth: Surface sow
  • Sow before February
  • Stratification duration: 60 days
  • Self-seeding

Harvesting Information

  • Harvesting indicator: Seeds easily fall off when you gently pull them off
  • Harvesting mean: Shake seed head in paper bag
  • Seed Viability Test: No test needed before donating
  • Packaging Measure: 1 rounded 1/8 teaspoon
  • Seed Storage: Air Dry in paper bag or open container, for a few days until crisp, shaking seeds to move them once in a while to prevent molding
  • On Cultivar: No, you can donate without knowing the source as there are only straight species