Flower profile
Elk thistle
Cirsium scariosum
Elk thistle is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Wyoming
Quick look
Cirsium scariosum is a species of thistle known by the common names meadow thistle, elk thistle and dwarf thistle. It is native to much of western North America from Alberta and British Columbia, south to Baja California. There are also isolated populations on the Canadian Atlantic Coast, on the Mingan Archipelago in Québec, where it is called the Mingan thistle.
- 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 11 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Wyoming. NatureServe
- iNaturalist has 675 research-grade sightings of it in Wyoming, ranking #33 among the 107 flowers on our Wyoming list. iNaturalist
Elk thistle gift ideas
Handmade elk 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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Elk thistle art print
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Elk thistle greeting card
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Elk thistle mug
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Elk thistle earrings
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Elk thistle embroidery pattern
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Elk thistle sticker
When does it bloom?
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
- Wyoming
- No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Wyoming.
- 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 elk thistle in 11 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
Wyoming counties with USDA records: Albany, Carbon, Fremont, Hot Springs, Johnson, Lincoln, Natrona, Park, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton, Washakie.
More Wyoming flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CISC2.
- iNaturalist, Cirsium scariosum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Cirsium scariosum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Cirsium scariosum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Arvel Hernandez via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.