Asteraceae
Wavyleaf thistle
Cirsium undulatum
- 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
- Wavyleaf thistle
Synonyms
- Carduus megacephalus (A.Gray) A.Nelson
- Carduus undulatus Nutt.
- Carduus undulatus var. undulatus
- Cirsium megacephalum (A.Gray) Cockerell ex Daniels
- Cirsium megacephalum (A.Gray) Cockerell
- Cirsium undulatum f. album Farw.
- Cirsium undulatum f. undulatum
- Cirsium undulatum subsp. undulatum
- Cirsium undulatum var. franktonis B.Boivin
- Cirsium undulatum var. megacephalum (A.Gray) Fernald
- Cirsium undulatum var. undulatum
- Cnicus undulatus A.Gray
- Cnicus undulatus var. megacephalus A.Gray
- Cnicus undulatus var. undulatus
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Biennial, Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native
Photos
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, CC BY 2.0, 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.