Bloomipedia
New Mexico thistle (Cirsium neomexicanum)
Photo: Sue Carnahan via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

New Mexico thistle

Cirsium neomexicanum

Native to Arizona

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.

6states
1,463AZ sightings*
2,586U.S. sightings*

*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 109 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist

New Mexico thistle gift ideas

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When does it bloom?

In Arizona, most flowering sightings come in March–May.

Flowering records by month in Arizona (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (137 records)

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?

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 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.

More Arizona flowers

Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Common yarrow

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🌼 Blooms in AZ: June–September
Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa)

Brittlebush

Encelia farinosa

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: January–December
Common sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Common sunflower

Helianthus annuus

🌷 Garden flower

🌼 Blooms in AZ: June–October

Sources