Asteraceae
Tall thistle
Cirsium altissimum
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Cirsium
Pet and kid safety: not checked yet. Check pet-safe plants
Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free
Common names
By language (1)
- English
- Tall thistle
Synonyms
- Carduus altissimus L.
- Cirsium altissimum f. altissimum
- Cirsium altissimum subsp. altissimum
- Cirsium altissimum var. altissimum
- Cirsium altissimum var. biltmoreanum Petr.
- Cirsium diversifolium DC.
- Cirsium iowense Fernald
- Cirsium iowense var. iowense
- Cnicus altissimus (L.) Willd.
- Cnicus altissimus f. altissimus
- Cnicus altissimus var. altissimus
- Cnicus iowense Pammel
- Cnicus iowensis Pammel
- Cnicus iowensis var. crattyii Pammel
- Cnicus iowensis var. iowensis
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Biennial
- In the US and Canada
- Lower 48 states: native
Photos
Photo: Superior National Forest, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Sesamehoneytart, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Superior National Forest, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Superior National Forest, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Superior National Forest, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Superior National Forest, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Eric Hunt, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Cirsium
- Creeping thistleCirsium arvenseAsteraceae
- Spear thistleCirsium vulgareAsteraceae
- Marsh thistleCirsium palustreAsteraceae
- Cabbage thistleCirsium oleraceumAsteraceae
- Dwarf thistleCirsium acauleAsteraceae
- Woolly thistleCirsium eriophorumAsteraceae
- Melancholy thistleCirsium heterophyllumAsteraceae
- Cirsium rivulareAsteraceae
- Meadow thistleCirsium dissectumAsteraceae
- Yellow melancholy thistleCirsium erisithalesAsteraceae
- Cirsium spinosissimumAsteraceae
- Cirsium tuberosumAsteraceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.