Flower profile
New Mexico thistle
Cirsium neomexicanum
New Mexico thistle (Cirsium neomexicanum) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–May across the U.S.
New Mexico 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 March–May.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Arizona
Quick look
Cirsium neomexicanum is a North American species of thistle known by the common names New Mexico thistle, powderpuff thistle, lavender thistle, foss thistle and desert 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 6 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona. NatureServe
- In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,463 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #66 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Arizona, most flowering sightings come in March–May.
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 New Mexico thistle in 6 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah.
Arizona counties with USDA records: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Yuma.
Names, range and relatives
Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Carduus inamoenus, Cirsium arcuum, Cirsium utahense, Cirsium wallowense.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 64 counties across 6 states; the most are in New Mexico (18), Utah (16), Arizona (11).
Other Cirsium on Bloomipedia (12): Bull thistle, Creeping thistle, Bristle thistle, Cobwebby thistle, Field thistle, Texas thistle, Wavyleaf thistle, Tall thistle, Elk thistle, Pitcher's 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 Arizona flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CINE.
- iNaturalist, Cirsium neomexicanum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Cirsium neomexicanum (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 neomexicanum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Sue Carnahan via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.