New Mexico Thistle. Cirsium neomexicanum, Sunflower Family ( Compositae ), New Mexico Thistle. Also called Lavender Thistle, Powderpuff Thistle,Foss Thistle and Desert Thistle. We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on this page. We share images and information with Wikipedia. This plant is native to the southwestern United States ( California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico ), particularly the Mojave Desert. It also is in the Sonoran Desert. It extends south into northern Mexico, particularly Sonora, and Baja California. It is a tall plant, routinely reaching eight feet in height. It erects a stem which may have webby fibers and long, stiff spines. The sparse leaves are greenish-gray, hairy, and very spiny. At the top of the mainly naked stems are inflorescences with one or more large flower heads with rounded bases and phyllaries covered in long, curving spines. The largest heads may be up to 5 centimeters in diameter. They are packed with white or lavender disc florets. The fruit is a flat brown achene with a long pappus which may reach 2 centimeters long. Unlike many other thistles, this species tends not to be considered a noxious weed. Quick Notes: Height: Growing to about 6 - 8 feet tall. Flowers: Pink to Purple. Up to about 2 - 3 inches across surrounded by spine-tipped bracts. The lower, outer bracts point down, the upper, inner bracts point up and are slightly twisted. Flowering Time: March - May. Leaves: The basal leaves are oblong and form a rosette 2 - 10 inches across. The petioles of the lower leaves are narrowly winged and spiny and the upper leaves are sessile Green leaves pinnately lobed, spiny, up to about 7 inches long. Fruit: The fruit is an achene with a bristly pappus 0.6 to 0.8 inch long. Stems: Normally 1, naked, erect, thinly gray-tomentose, sometimes � glabrate; branches from few - many, usually branching from above the middle, then ascending. Found: Native to the southwestern United States ( California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico ); and the extreme northwest of Northern Mexico ( Sonora, and Baja California ). Hardiness: USDA Zone 3a: to -39.9 �C (-40 �F) USDA Zone 3b: to -37.2 �C (-35 �F) USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 �C (-30 �F) USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 �C (-25 �F) USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 �C (-20 �F) USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 �C (-15 �F) USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 �C (-10 �F) USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 �C (-5 �F) USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 �C (0 �F) USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 �C (5 �F) USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 �C (10 �F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 �C (15 �F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 �C (20 �F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 �C (25 �F) USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 �C (30 �F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 �C (35 �F) Soil pH requirements: 5.6 to 6.0 (acidic) 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline) 7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline) Sun Exposure: Full Sun Elevation: Can be found from 600 - 7,000 Feet. Habitat: Commonly found in sandy to gravelly washes, and on dry, rocky slopes, mesas, canyon sides, and plains and foothills. Miscellaneous: Flowering Photos Taken May 1, 2003 near Lake Pleasant, Arizona.

Click On Any Of The Following Links By Amazon.Com
For Books, & Videos About Wildflowers Of Arizona & The Southwest USA. No Obligation!