Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense) is in the Sunflowers, Daisies, Asters, and Allies family (Asteraceae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 3,138 research-grade flowering observations of it in our sample, peaking in July.
Nationally it blooms mainly from June to September, but timing varies a lot by state and elevation — see the table below.
When to photograph Creeping Thistle: observations by month (U.S.)
About Creeping Thistle
Cirsium arvense is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native throughout Europe and northern Asia, and widely introduced elsewhere. The standard English name in its native area is creeping thistle.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Creeping Thistle by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 545 | June | Jun–Sep |
| Washington | 354 | July | Jun–Aug |
| New York | 288 | July | Jun–Jul |
| Pennsylvania | 264 | June | Jun–Jul |
| Oregon | 204 | July | Jun–Aug |
| Minnesota | 201 | July | Jun–Jul |
| Colorado | 139 | July | Jun–Oct |
| Maryland | 120 | June | Jun–Aug |
| Michigan | 120 | July | Jun–Sep |
| Illinois | 106 | June | Jun–Jul |
| Vermont | 101 | July | Jul–Jul |
| Wisconsin | 97 | July | Jun–Jul |
| New Jersey | 90 | June | Jun–Aug |
| Indiana | 70 | July | Jun–Sep |
| Massachusetts | 58 | July | Jun–Jul |
| Maine | 54 | July | Jul–Sep |
| Utah | 41 | September | Jun–Sep |
| North Dakota | 33 | July | Jul–Sep |
| Wyoming | 31 | August | Jul–Aug |
| Iowa | 28 | June | Jun–Jul |
| Virginia | 27 | June | Jun–Jul |
| Idaho | 19 | August | Jun–Aug |
| Connecticut | 16 | July | Jun–Sep |
| Montana | 16 | August | Jul–Oct |
| West Virginia | 15 | June | Jun–Aug |
| Kentucky | 14 | July | Jun–Sep |
| South Dakota | 14 | July | Jul–Sep |
| Alaska | 13 | August | Jul–Aug |
| New Hampshire | 12 | August | Jul–Aug |
| Delaware | 10 | July | Jun–Aug |
| District of Columbia | 9 | May | May–Aug |
| North Carolina | 8 | August | Aug–Sep |
| Nebraska | 7 | July | Jun–Sep |
| Nevada | 5 | July | Jul–Jul |
| New Mexico | 5 | July | Jul–Aug |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related wildflowers (Sunflowers, Daisies, Asters, and Allies)
black-eyed Susan
Common Yarrow
White Snakeroot
Chicory
Lawn daisy
Philadelphia fleabane
Pearly Everlasting
Blue Mistflower
Photography tips
- Photograph flowers on calm, overcast mornings to avoid wind blur and harsh shadows.
- Get low: a shallow depth of field (f/2.8–f/5.6) isolates a bloom against soft color.
- Stay on trails — trampling meadows kills plants and ruins next year's display.
- Try a kaleidoscope abstract of a single bloom with our online kaleidoscope tool.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Creeping Thistle?
Nationally, July has the most observations, with the main season from June to September.
Where is Creeping Thistle most often seen?
The most observations come from Ohio, Washington, New York.