2025 MURAL SPECIES!
pitcher’s thistle
Ojibwe: Zagdebwe
Latin: Cirsium pitcheri
STATUS:
US STATUS: LT - Listed Threatened
MI STATUS: T - Threatened (Legally Protected)
Description:
Perennial thistle of open Great Lakes dunes; leaves bluish-green with few spines, densely covered by white-woolly hairs, forming only a basal rosette when young; flower heads numerous and very pale in color.
Habitat and Occurrence
If you’re looking to find Pitcher’s Thistle for yourself, check within the following ecosystems within the green counties on the map!
All information on this page is generously provided by the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI). For more information about Pitcher’s Thistle - visit the species description here: mnfi.anr.msu.edu/pitchers-thistle. To learn more about Michigan’s biodiversity, ecological communities and natural heritage, visit mnfi.anr.msu.edu
get involved with pitcher’s thistle conservation!
While there are currently no Community Science projects specifically operating to benefit the preservation of Pitcher’s Thistle in Michigan, there are many organizations who work to protect the coastal habitats where it resides! Volunteer with some of these organizations and help protect the habitat that Pitcher’s Thistle needs in order to survive.
report an observation
MNFI stewards the Michigan Natural Heritage Database and track observations of some of Michigan’s rarest forms of life to fully understand the population and range of rare species to protect biodiversity in Michigan. If you have encountered Pitcher’s Thistle, you can share the location information with these trusted conservation professionals here: mnfi.anr.msu.edu/species/report