Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Herbaceous Perennial

Cirsium arachnoideum

A herbaceous perennial to around 80cm high, with upright, slightly angular stems and long, spiny, slightly hairy leaves that are pinnately divided almost to the base. In mid to late summer, produces thistle-like flower heads, with dense layers of spiny bracts edged with web-like hairs, opening to fine, bright purple florets. Flowers are followed by fluffy seed heads

Save to My plants

Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Asteraceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Cirsium may be biennials or perennials with spiny leaves and typical thistle-type flower-heads
Name status: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Thrives in full sun in any moist but well-drained soil

Propagation

Propagate by seed, or by division between autumn and spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildflower meadow
Wildlife gardens

Pruning

Deadhead if seed is not required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.