Cirsium scariosum Nutt.

Dwarf thistle
Asteraceae

 Unlike the common weedy thistles we commonly associate with the name, Cirsium scariosum is a native. Found across California, these low-growing perennial thistles are not very showy, but have strong thistle characteristics, including tightly packed flower heads, and spiny leaves. They can be found in both rocky areas to meadows and marshy regions.

These perennial plants flower in the summer, and eventually die back to a rootstock later in the fall-winter.