Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Asteraceae

Genus:

Cirsium

Species:

Cirsium rhabdotolepis

Growth Characteristics

Height:

120 cm

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

jun,jul,aug

Bloom Colors:

purple, pink

Keystone Species Ranking

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

★★★★☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, butterflies, birds

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Typical of grassland and chaparral thistles, resprouts from root crown after fire disturbance.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Germination Time:

14–30 days

Notes:

Seeds benefit from light during germination; surface sow or barely cover.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI