Bloomipedia
Texas thistle (Cirsium texanum)
Photo: Linda Jo Conn via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Texas thistle

Cirsium texanum

Native to Texas

Texas thistle is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Texas it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.

3states
9,966TX sightings*
9,993U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Texas

Quick look

Cirsium texanum is a species of plant in the tribe Cardueae within the family Asteraceae found in North America. Common names include Texas thistle, Texas purple thistle or southern thistle. The species is native to northern Mexico and the southern Great Plains of the south-central United States. It grows in prairies and roadsides.

  • 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 3 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Texas. NatureServe
  • In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 9,966 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #55 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist

Texas thistle gift ideas

Handmade texas thistle gifts from independent makers.

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    Texas thistle art print

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When does it bloom?

In Texas, most flowering sightings come in March–June.

Flowering records by month in Texas (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,408 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
Texas
Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
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 Texas thistle in 3 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas.

Texas counties with USDA records: Anderson, Aransas, Bandera, Bastrop, Baylor, Bell, Bexar, Brazoria, Brazos, Brewster, Brooks, Brown, Burnet, Cameron, Childress, Coke, Collin, Coryell, Crane, Crockett, Crosby, Dallas, Delta, Dimmit, Duval, Edwards, Falls, Fisher, Freestone, Frio, Garza, Gillespie, Goliad, Gonzales, Grayson, Guadalupe, Hays, Henderson, Hidalgo, Houston, Jim Hogg, Karnes, Kenedy, Kent, Kerr, Kimble, Kleberg, Lampasas, Lee, Live Oak, Llano, Madison, Marion, Martin, Mason, McCulloch, McLennan, McMullen, Medina, Midland, Mills, Navarro, Nueces, Palo Pinto, Pecos, Robertson, Rockwall, Runnels, San Patricio, San Saba, Starr, Sutton, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Tom Green, Travis, Val Verde, Waller, Washington, Webb, Willacy, Williamson, Wilson, Zavala.

More Texas flowers

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

★ MD state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in TX: April–July
Firewheel (Gaillardia pulchella)

Firewheel

Gaillardia pulchella

★ OK state wildflowerNative

🌼 Blooms in TX: March–July
Late boneset (Eupatorium serotinum)

Late boneset

Eupatorium serotinum

Native

🌼 Blooms in TX: August–October

Sources