What is the Pitchers thistle?
Scientific Name – Cirsium pitcheriRange – The Pitcher s thistle is a native thistle that grows on the beaches and grassland dunes along the shorelines of Lakes Michigan, Superior, and Huron. It is now found in Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin and in Ontario Canada. Pitcher s thistle was extirpated from Illinois but has been reintroduced in Lake County. Appearance – The Pitcher s thistle grows for five to eight years before it flowers. Its non-flowering form is a rosette or cluster of silvery leaves and its flowering form typically has one stem with many branches. The entire flowering plant may grow 3 feet tall. Cream or pink flowers grow at the end of branches and from the leaf axils. Leaves are finely and deeply lobed and may be one foot long. The stems and leaves of both the flowering and non-flowering forms are covered with white hairs that give the plant a woolly white or silvery appearance. These hairs are an adaptation to its beach environment and help the plant retain water and
