Nodding Thistle (Carduus nutans)

Nodding Thistle (Carduus nutans), Dolly Sods Wilderness, Tucker County, West Virginia, USA

Nodding Thistle (Carduus nutans), Dolly Sods Wilderness

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Nodding Thistle (Carduus nutans)

The Nodding Thistle (Carduus natans) is a member of the Asteraceae or Aster family.  It is a smooth or thinly hairy biennial which grows between 1- and 7-feet tall.  The leaves, which can be up to 10-inches long and 4-inches wide, are mostly smooth and deeply lobed.  The flower heads are up to 2-inches wide, usually nodding and solitary at the ends of very long stalks.  The flowers are reddish-purple.  The Nodding Thistle can be found in pastures, on roadsides and in waste places.  It is a native of Eurasia but has now become widely established in the US and Canada.  It flowers from May to November.

Nodding Thistle (Carduus nutans), Dolly Sods Wilderness, Tucker County, West Virginia, USA

Nodding Thistle (Carduus nutans), Dolly Sods Wilderness

–  Click on the image to enlarge or purchase  –

2 Comments

  1. Excellent details in the images Mark. The light and bokeh on the second one is exceptional.

  2. These are lovely Mark and I love the lighting in the second image.

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