Flower profile
Arizona thistle
Cirsium arizonicum
Arizona thistle is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Arizona it's most often seen in bloom in May–October.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Arizona
Quick look
Cirsium arizonicum, the Arizona thistle, is a North American species of thistle in the family Asteraceae, native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It has been found in Arizona, southeastern California, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, Sonora, and northwestern Chihuahua.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a biennial, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 5 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona. NatureServe
- In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–October. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,109 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #96 among the 109 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
Arizona thistle gift ideas
Handmade arizona thistle gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Arizona thistle art print
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Arizona thistle greeting card
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Arizona thistle mug
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Arizona thistle earrings
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Arizona thistle embroidery pattern
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Arizona thistle sticker
When does it bloom?
In Arizona, most flowering sightings come in May–October.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Arizona
- Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records Arizona thistle in 5 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah.
Arizona counties with USDA records: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Santa Cruz.
More Arizona flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CIAR3.
- iNaturalist, Cirsium arizonicum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Cirsium arizonicum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Arizona: Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025).
- Arizona: Arizona prohibited noxious weeds (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-4-245).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Cirsium arizonicum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Lexi Amico via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.