Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)
Tracheophyta: Angiosperm: Dicot: Daisy (Asteraceae)
Non-native from Europe
Habitat: full sun areas.
ID Features: thorns on all plant parts, purple flowers.
Natural History: Thistles are prickly plants that produce flowers atop very tall stems. The leaves are deeply lobed and most thistle flowers in Missouri are pink. It grows in any untended place and will often appear on lawns. The seeds are a favorite of goldfinches.
Missouri Wildflowers by Edgar Denison, 5th Edition, Missouri Department of Conservation, ©1998.