Flower profile
Mojave thistle
Cirsium mohavense
Mojave thistle (Cirsium mohavense) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–October across the U.S.
Mojave thistle is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Nevada it's most often seen in bloom in May–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Nevada
Quick look
Cirsium mohavense is a species of thistle known by the common names virgin thistle and Mojave thistle. It is native to the southwestern United States, where it grows in moist areas in otherwise dry habitat, such as desert springs. It is most common in the Mojave Desert, found also in the southern Great Basin and other nearby regions of California, Nevada, western Arizona, and southwestern Utah.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, biennial, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 3 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Nevada. NatureServe
- In Nevada, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–September. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 631 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #59 among the 132 flowers on our Nevada list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Nevada, most flowering sightings come in May–September.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed Not listed under the Endangered Species Act. USFWS ECOS does track it with the label “Species of Concern,” which is informal and gives no legal protection. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G3 Vulnerable worldwide. NatureServe
- Nevada
- Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S3, vulnerable in Nevada. NAC 527.010
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AZ (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Please don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S3 in Nevada. NatureServe
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 mojave thistle in 3 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Nevada.
Nevada counties with USDA records: Clark, Esmeralda, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Mineral, Nye.
Names, range and relatives
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 13 counties across 3 states; the most are in Nevada (7), California (5), Arizona (1).
Other Cirsium on Bloomipedia (12): Bull thistle, Creeping thistle, Bristle thistle, Cobwebby thistle, Field thistle, Texas thistle, Wavyleaf thistle, Tall thistle, Elk thistle, New Mexico thistle.
More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Common dandelion, Firewheel.
More Nevada flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CIMO.
- iNaturalist, Cirsium mohavense: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Cirsium mohavense (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
- Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Cirsium mohavense (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: jonsense via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.