Flower profile

Perennial sow thistle

Sonchus arvensis

Perennial sow thistle (Sonchus arvensis) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–September across the U.S.

Not native to North Dakota

Perennial sow thistle is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states.

42states where USDA records it

76ND sightings*

2,642U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: North Dakota

Quick look

Sonchus arvensis, the field milk thistle, field sowthistle, perennial sow-thistle, corn sow thistle, dindle, gutweed, swine thistle, or tree sow thistle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. S. arvensis often occurs in annual crop fields and may cause substantial yield losses.
From Wikipedia's article Sonchus arvensis, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 42 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as not native to North Dakota. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 76 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #85 among the 116 flowers on our North Dakota list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in North Dakota (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (15 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: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
North Dakota: No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in North Dakota.
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 perennial sow thistle in 42 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Barnes, Billings, Bottineau, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Eddy, Emmons, Foster, Golden Valley, Grand Forks, Grant, Griggs, Hettinger, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Nelson, Oliver, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Sheridan, Sioux, Slope, Stark, Steele, Stutsman, Towner, Traill, Walsh, Ward, Wells, Williams.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Alaska: Introduced; Canada: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced; St. Pierre and Miquelon: Introduced.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 701 counties across 38 states; the most are in Minnesota (67), Michigan (63), North Dakota (49).

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.

More North Dakota flowers

Upright prairie coneflower

Ratibida columnifera

Native

🌼 Blooms in ND: June–August

Creeping thistle

Cirsium arvense

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in ND

Narrow-leaved purple coneflower

Echinacea angustifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in ND: June–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SOAR2.
iNaturalist, Sonchus arvensis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Sonchus arvensis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Sonchus arvensis (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Anders Hastings via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.