Cirsium occidentale
A native thistle with serious star power, Cirsium occidentale is anything but weedy. This dramatic California native plant forms a bold rosette of gray-green, woolly foliage before sending up tall, architectural stems topped with showy thistle flowers in shades of pink, purple, red, or white. The unopened buds are wrapped in silky, cobweb-like fibers, giving the whole plant a wild, sculptural beauty that feels perfectly at home in native plant gardens, wildlife gardens, and naturalistic borders.
Growing approximately 2 to 6 feet tall, and sometimes taller in ideal conditions, Cirsium occidentale creates a striking vertical accent with a mature spread of about 2 to 3 feet. Blooming in summer, it is a powerful pollinator plant for bees, butterflies, beneficial insects, and other garden visitors. Its bold form pairs beautifully with California poppies, native salvias, buckwheats, yarrow, milkweed, grasses, clarkias, and other drought-tolerant California natives that bring movement, texture, and seasonal color to sunny spaces.
Plant Cirsium occidentale in full sun with excellent drainage and low to moderate water. Tough, architectural, wildlife-friendly, and wonderfully unexpected, this native thistle is a standout choice for gardeners who like their flowers with a little drama. Explore more habitat-supporting favorites in our California Natives collection.
Original: $12.99
-65%$12.99
$4.55
Description
A native thistle with serious star power, Cirsium occidentale is anything but weedy. This dramatic California native plant forms a bold rosette of gray-green, woolly foliage before sending up tall, architectural stems topped with showy thistle flowers in shades of pink, purple, red, or white. The unopened buds are wrapped in silky, cobweb-like fibers, giving the whole plant a wild, sculptural beauty that feels perfectly at home in native plant gardens, wildlife gardens, and naturalistic borders.
Growing approximately 2 to 6 feet tall, and sometimes taller in ideal conditions, Cirsium occidentale creates a striking vertical accent with a mature spread of about 2 to 3 feet. Blooming in summer, it is a powerful pollinator plant for bees, butterflies, beneficial insects, and other garden visitors. Its bold form pairs beautifully with California poppies, native salvias, buckwheats, yarrow, milkweed, grasses, clarkias, and other drought-tolerant California natives that bring movement, texture, and seasonal color to sunny spaces.
Plant Cirsium occidentale in full sun with excellent drainage and low to moderate water. Tough, architectural, wildlife-friendly, and wonderfully unexpected, this native thistle is a standout choice for gardeners who like their flowers with a little drama. Explore more habitat-supporting favorites in our California Natives collection.
