• found in fields, gardens, and roadsides
  
• introduced, but is now common

• prickly wildflower
  
• leaves, branches, and stems are covered in spikes
  
• can grow up to 6 feet tall
  
• biennial
  
• in the sunflower family

• 3-6 inches long
  
• very spiky
  
• the first year thistle is alive, a rosette grows near ground

• pink or purple
  
• 1-2 inches long
  
• blooms from July-September
  
• when flowers are finished blooming, plant produces "thistledown", small seeds with fluffy stuff on them; these are carried away by the wind so thistle can reproduce

The tough fibers of the stem can be twisted together to make strong twine or used as a toothbrush. The pithy stalks can be used to make a hand drill, useful for igniting a pile of tinder.