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  1. Life
  2. Plants
  3. Vascular Plants
  4. Dicots
  5. Sunflowers, Bellflowers, Fanflowers, and Allies
  6. Sunflower Family
  7. Thistles and Allies
  8. Top native

Top native thistles and allies

4 species, native to the US, ranked by caterpillars, then bees and other hosts, food, flowers and shelter.

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4 native plants

Sun and shade

Light

Full sun 4 Part shade 2

Soil and water

Moisture

Dry 4 Well drained 4 Moist 2

Soil

Sand 4 Loam 4 Clay 4

Soil pH

Acid 2 Neutral 3 Alkaline 3

Toughness

Drought tolerant

Yes 2

Deer resistant

Yes 3

Resists

Dry soil 1 Rabbits 1

Form

Habit

Erect 4

Plant type

Wildflower 4 Herbaceous perennial 2 Weed 2 Annual 1
  • Bristle Thistle Cirsium horridulum caterpillars 25 bees 10 hosts 1 food 14 flowers 164
  • Field Thistle Cirsium discolor caterpillars 22 bees 9 hosts 1 food 17 flowers 148
  • Tall Thistle Cirsium altissimum caterpillars 21 bees 10 hosts 1 food 15 flowers 139
  • Pasture Thistle Cirsium pumilum caterpillars 19 bees 9 hosts 1 food 11 flowers 126

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