Canada Thistle | National Invasive Species Information Center

Canada thistle, flowers in South Dakota - Photo by Chris Evans; University of Illinois

Scientific Name:

Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop (ITIS)

Common Name:

Canada thistle, Californian thistle, Canadian thistle, creeping thistle, field thistle, corn thistle, perennial thistle, field thistle

Native To:

Europe (Nuzzo 1997)

Date of U.S. Introduction:

1600s (Nuzzo 1997)

Means of Introduction:

Possibly accidental through farm seed shipments

Impact:

Crowds out native species (Stachion and Zimdahl 1980); reduces crop and forage yields (Moore 1975)

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS) - Canada Thistle

University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

Provides state, county, point and GIS data. Maps can be downloaded and shared.

Pest Tracker - Survey Status of Canada Thistle

USDA. APHIS. Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey. National Agricultural Pest Information System.

Images

Google Images - Canada Thistle

Google.

Invasive.org - Canada Thistle

University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

Videos

YouTube - Canada Thistle Noxious Weed

Google. YouTube; Montana Department of Agriculture.

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Canada Thistle.

Council or Task Force

Factsheet - Canada Thistle (Mar 2019) (PDF | 2.03 MB)

Invasive Species Council of British Columbia (Canada).

See also: Publications for more resources

Fact Sheet: Canada Thistle (Jan 2014) (PDF | 481 KB)

Alberta Invasive Species Council (Canada).

See also: Fact Sheets for more information about individual invasive species, including those listed as "Prohibited Noxious" and "Noxious" under the Alberta Weed Control Act

Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands - Cirsium arvense

California Invasive Plant Council.

In online book: Bossard, C.C., J.M. Randall, and M.C. Hoshovsky (Editors). 2000. Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands. University of California Press. Berkeley, CA

Invasive Plants of Ohio: Fact Sheet 14 - Canada Thistle (PDF | 214 KB)

Ohio Invasive Plants Council.

See also: Invasive Plants of Ohio for worst invasive plant species identified in Ohio's natural areas

Partnership

Alaska Exotic Plants Information Clearinghouse (AKEPIC): Species Biography - Canada Thistle (Feb 7, 2011) (PDF | 142 KB)

University of Alaska - Anchorage. Alaska Center for Conservation Science.

See also: Non-Native Plant Species List for additional factsheets (species biographies) and species risk assessment reports of non-native species present in Alaska and also non-native species currently not recorded in Alaska (potential invasives)

Federal Noxious Weed Disseminules of the U.S. - Fact Sheet: Cirsium arvense

USDA. APHIS. PPQ. Center for Plant Health Science and Technology; California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Global Invasive Species Database - Cirsium arvense (herb)

IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.

Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States - Canada Thistle

University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

Invasive Species Compendium - Cirsium arvense

CAB International.

Weeds Australia - Perennial Thistle (Cirsium arvense)

Centre for Invasive Species Solutions; Atlas of Living Australia; Australian Government. Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

Federal Government

Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) - Cirsium arvense

USDA. FS. Rocky Mountain Research Station. Fire Sciences Laboratory.

PLANTS Database - Canada Thistle

USDA. NRCS. National Plant Data Center.

U.S. National Plant Germplasm System - Cirsium arvense

USDA. ARS. National Genetic Resources Program. GRIN-Global.

State and Local Government

Invasive Species Best Control Practices - Canada Thistle (Mar 2018) (PDF | 410 KB)

Michigan Department of Natural Resource; Michigan State University Extension. Michigan Natural Features Inventory.

See also: Best Control Practice Guides for more guides

Canada Thistle

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Class C Noxious Weed: Canada Thistle

Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board.

Encycloweedia: Data Sheet - Cirsium genus

California Department of Food and Agriculture.

See also: Included on California's noxious weed list; see Encycloweedia: Program Details for additional resources

Field Guide: Invasive - Canada Thistle

Missouri Department of Conservation.

See also: Invasive and Problem Plant Control (scroll to Invasive Plants section) for more information to help you identify and control most common invasive plants in Missouri

Invasive Plants in Pennsylvania: Canada Thistle (PDF | 576 KB)

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

See also: Invasive Plant Fact Sheets for plant species (trees, shrubs, vines, herbs and aquatic plants) that have impacted the state's natural lands

Noxious Weed Species - Canada Thistle

Colorado Department of Agriculture. Conservation Services Division. Noxious Weed Program.

Academic

Natural Resources Series: Range - Canada Thistle

Colorado State University Extension.

Noxious Weeds of Nebraska - Canada Thistle

University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Cooperative Extension.

Ohio Perennial & Biennial Weed Guide - Canada Thistle

Ohio State University. Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.