Tall thistle (Cirsium altissimum) And Friend

August 17^th, 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.

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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)