Flower profile
Tall thistle
Cirsium altissimum
Tall thistle is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–October.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
Quick look
Cirsium altissimum is a North American species of plants in the tribe Cardueae within the family Asteraceae. Common names are tall thistle or roadside thistle. The species is native to the eastern and Central United States.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a biennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 33 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. NatureServe
- In Arkansas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–October. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 626 research-grade sightings of it in Arkansas, ranking #81 among the 109 flowers on our Arkansas list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 612 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #52 among the 110 flowers on our Oklahoma list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 600 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #38 among the 109 flowers on our Kansas list. iNaturalist
Tall thistle gift ideas
Handmade tall thistle gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Tall thistle art print
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Tall thistle greeting card
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Tall thistle mug
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Tall thistle earrings
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Tall thistle embroidery pattern
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Tall thistle sticker
When does it bloom?
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Arkansas
- No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
- Oklahoma
- No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
- Kansas
- No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: S5, secure in Kansas.
- Nebraska
- Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. 163 NAC 4-004
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DC (SX), DE (SH), NJ (SX), NY (SX), VA (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records tall thistle in 33 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.
Arkansas counties with USDA records: Arkansas, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clark, Cleburne, Cross, Drew, Faulkner, Franklin, Garland, Hot Spring, Howard, Independence, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Logan, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Nevada, Newton, Perry, Phillips, Polk, Pope, Pulaski, Sebastian, Stone, Washington, Yell.
Oklahoma counties with USDA records: Adair, Alfalfa, Cleveland, Creek, Delaware, Kay, Latimer, Le Flore, McCurtain, McIntosh, Murray, Muskogee, Noble, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Ottawa, Payne, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Tulsa.
Kansas counties with USDA records: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Elk, Ellsworth, Franklin, Geary, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Miami, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, Ottawa, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sheridan, Smith, Sumner, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, Woodson, Wyandotte.
More Arkansas flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CIAL2.
- iNaturalist, Cirsium altissimum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Cirsium altissimum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Arkansas: Arkansas State Plant Board noxious weeds and prohibited plants (2 CAR § 50-101).
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
- Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
- Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
- Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Cirsium altissimum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Ken Clark via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.