Creeping Thistle

Cirsium arvense

Creeping thistle is often found in rough grassland from June to October. The plants feature spiny leaves and flower-heads made up of lilac-pink florets atop a small cylinder of spiny bracts. By late summer, a mass of fluffy seeds appear which get dispersed by the wind. Creeping roots allow the plants to spread quickly across an area, resulting in large colonies.