Scientific Name
Cirsium rivulare (Jacq.) All
Synonym(s)
Carduus erisithales, Carduus rivularis, Carduus salisburgensis, Carduus tricephaloides, Cirsium carniolicum, Cirsium gracile, Cirsium salisburgense, Cirsium semipectinatum, Cirsium siegerti, Cirsium tricephalodes, Cirsium tricephalum, Cnicus autareticus, Cnicus pontederae, Cnicus rivularis, Cnicus salisburgensis, Cnicus seminudus
Common Name(s)
Brook Thistle
Scientific Classification
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Cynareae
Genus: Cirsium
Origin
Cirsium rivulare is native to Europe, except the British Isles and northern Europe.
Flower
Color: Purple
Bloom Time: Midsummer to late summer
Description
Cirsium rivulare is an upright perennial that forms a clump of branching leafy stems with purple many-stellate flowers atop a large basal rosette of soft green leaves.
The flowers are up to 1.2 inches (3 cm) in diameter. They start blooming in mid-summer and continue through late summer.

Cultivars of Cirsium rivulare
How to Grow and Care for Cirsium rivulare
Hardiness: USDA hardiness zone 5a to 9b: from -20°F (-28.9°C) to 25°F (-3.9°C).
The seeds of Cirsium can be sown in either autumn or after the last frost of spring. They should be sown at a depth of 0.12 inches (3 mm). If grown indoors first, Cirsium takes about 2 to 3 weeks to germinate at 70°F to 75°F (21°C to 24°C). The seedlings should be planted out in early spring when it is still possible to get a frost with a spacing of about 2 feet (60 cm).
Cirisium thrives in full sun and poor, average, or rich soil that is moist but well-drained. Plants require little care, but deadheading limits their tendency to self-sow. They generally self-sow only in moderation, and unlike weedy thistles, the seedlings are easy to pull up. Use Thistles in mixed beds, herb gardens, or meadow-like plantings.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Thistles (Cirsium).
Links
- Back to genus Cirsium
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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