| Author | (L.) Hill | |
| Distribution | Found throughout the state, perhaps in every county.
Native of Europe; in N.A. throughout. | |
| Abundance | Common in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont, fairly common in the Mountains, but uncommon in the Sandhills. | |
| Habitat | Roadsides, railroad margins, fields, pastures, meadows, clearings, disturbed areas, waste areas, campus weed. | |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting late March-July. | |
| Identification | Generally speaking, sowthistles resemble yellow-flowered wild lettuces (genus Lactuca), but the heads are much broader. Prickly Sowthistle is a familiar weed across the state, and is indeed more prickly than other sowthistles; but the leaves are a better clue to identification. The sessile base of each leaf widens and curls as it meets the stem. The base is also essentially clasping. In our other 2 Sonchus species, the leaf base is clasping only and not curled. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | | |
| Other Common Name(s) | | |
| State Rank | SE | |
| Global Rank | GNR | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | FACU link |
| USACE-emp | FAC link |
