August 17th,
2012. Tall Thistles (Cirsium altissimum) are blooming
at the moment. Most plants are only 4 to 5 feet tall. Every now and then, we
spot a truly tall plant as we did in the Scull Shoals Experimental Forest in
the Oconee National Forest a couple of weeks ago. These photos were taken in
the Oconee National Forest in either Greene or Oglethorpe counties.
This plant was 10 to 11 feet tall. Last
Saturday (8/25/2012) we saw a couple of plants at the Piedmont National
Wildlife Refuge yesterday that were 7 to 8 feet tall but the plant at in the
Scull Shoals EF has been the tallest we’ve seen this year.
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Compared with the leaves most Cirsium species,
the leaves of C. altissimum are smooth
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A developing buds
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Opened flowers
A spent flower
A male Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon) was feeding on one of the flowers.
Cirsium altissimum (Tall Thistle) is native of the
United States where it’s found in states east of a line from Minnesota to Texas.
In Georgia, it’s found in counties in the Piedmont.
Click on an image to view a larger image
Identification
resources:
- Name
that Plant: Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Cirsium altissimum (Tall Thistle)
- Missouri Plants: Cirsium altissimum
Distribution:
- United
States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Cirsium altissimum (Tall Thistle)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Cirsium altissimum
Bug Guide: Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon)
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