| Author | Michaux | |
| Distribution | Coastal Plain, including the Sandhills, and lowermost Piedmont; absent from the Outer Banks and scarce in the northeastern corner of the state.
Southeastern VA to east-central GA. | |
| Abundance | Common and widespread in the Sandhills region. Generally common in most of the remainder of the southern half of the Coastal Plain, at least in Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) stands. Rare in the northeastern portion of the province, and along the edge of the Piedmont. | |
| Habitat | Xeric to dry pine-oak-Wiregrass uplands, sandhills, sand ridges, roadsides, and powerlines. | |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting May-July. | |
| Identification | This is a familiar thistle in the Coastal Plain, especially in the Sandhills. Plants typically grow 1.5-2.5 feet tall, sometimes up to 3 feet, with a few to many terminal rose-purple heads on short stalks. Leaves are green on both surfaces, not white-pubescent beneath (contra Virginia Thistle [C. virginianum]), and basal leaves are lacking (contra Pasture Thistle [C. pumilum]). | |
| Taxonomic Comments | None
| |
| Other Common Name(s) | Coastal-plain Thistle | |
| State Rank | S5 | |
| Global Rank | G5 | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | | |
| USACE-emp | | |
