Thistle Type Of Flower. Its main claim to fame is being the national symbol for Scotland. However sometimes it is used more broadly to refer to a wider range of prickly flowering plants.
Flower type in flower heads the flower head has disk flowers only and lacks the strap-shaped flowers. 01062021 Magenta heads atop long leafless and spike-less stems make ornamental plume thistle Cirsium rivulare Atropurpureum an excellent garden choice. Rivulare literally means growing by a stream and this perennial prefers moist yet well-drained ground.
Of the nine genera of thistles from the tribe Cardueae Carduus Carthamus Carlina Centaure Cirsium Cynara Echinop Onopordum and Silybum the Cirsium genus comprises the true thistles the most diverse and widespread of our native thistles.
Dark purple to cream or white. Common thistle is native to Europe and Asia and has become an invasive weed across North America in a variety of habitats especially in disturbed areas. Thistle Onopordum acanthium is actually part of the sunflower family. Musk thistle Carduus nutans for example is a biennial in USDA hardiness zones 7 and above while Italian thistle Carduus.