Flower profile

Cutleaf teasel

Dipsacus laciniatus

Introduced in the lower 48

Cutleaf teasel is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–September.

20states

2of our state lists

10,753U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Illinois, Ohio

🚫

Regulated invasive plant in Illinois and Ohio. It's on those states' official invasive plant lists (Illinois: Exotic weed (sale and planting prohibited); Ohio: Invasive plant (sale and propagation prohibited)). Please don't plant or share it there. ^{17 IAC 1100.30 OAC 901:5-30-01}

Quick look

Dipsacus laciniatus is a species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family known by the common name cutleaf teasel. It is native to Europe and Asia. It is present in North America as an introduced species and invasive weed.
From Wikipedia's article Dipsacus laciniatus, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Caprifoliaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a biennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 20 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as not native to Illinois and Ohio. ^NatureServe
In Illinois, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. ^iNaturalist
In Ohio, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,140 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #45 among the 109 flowers on our Illinois list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,841 research-grade sightings of it in Ohio, ranking #96 among the 109 flowers on our Ohio list. ^iNaturalist

State flower gift ideas

This one is a regulated invasive plant, so here are state flower gifts instead.

🌱 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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State flower print
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Birth-flower necklace
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Wildflower seed favors
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Botanical tea towel
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Pressed-flower frame
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Flower-garden mug
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (521 records)

Bloom time in each of our 2 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Illinois	Introduced	July–September	3,140
Ohio	Introduced	July–September	1,841

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
Illinois: Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Illinois. ^{IL E&T checklist 2025}
Ohio: Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Ohio. ^{OAC 1501:18-1-03}
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?

For peopleNot well documented

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.

For petsNot well documented

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 cutleaf teasel in 20 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Illinois counties with USDA records: Champaign, Christian, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, DuPage, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Iroquois, Jackson, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, Macon, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Morgan, Peoria, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Will.

Ohio counties with USDA records: Adams, Brown, Butler, Columbiana, Defiance, Greene, Guernsey, Hamilton, Huron, Lucas, Mahoning, Marion, Mercer, Paulding, Pike, Scioto, Trumbull, Van Wert, Williams, Wyandot.

More Illinois flowers

Amur honeysuckle

Lonicera maackii

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in IL: April–August

Japanese honeysuckle

Lonicera japonica

Introduced

🌼 Blooms: April–October

Wild teasel

Dipsacus fullonum

Introduced

🌼 Blooms: July–September

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile DILA4.
iNaturalist, Dipsacus laciniatus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Dipsacus laciniatus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Illinois: Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist.
Illinois: Illinois Official List of Exotic Weeds (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1100.30, Illinois Exotic Weed Act).
Ohio: Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024).
Ohio: Ohio invasive plant species (Ohio Adm. Code 901:5-30-01).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Dipsacus laciniatus (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Sandra Keller via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.