According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.
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Cirsium arvense is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native throughout Europe and western Asia, northern Africa, and widely introduced elsewhere. The standard English name in its native area is creeping thistle. It is also commonly known as Canada thistle and field thistle.
Cirsium arvense was accidentally introduced to North America in the 1600s and is designated as a noxious weed in 43 states. It occurs from Alaska east to the Northwest Territories, Quebec, and Newfoundland and south to California, New Mexico, Kansas, Arkansas, and North Carolina.
This plant is present in at least 54 states/provinces in this country.
Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) has a deep and wide-spreading root system with a slender taproot and far-creeping lateral roots. It often forms large patches, and individual clones may reach 35 m in diameter. Most Canada thistle roots are in the top 0.2-0.6 m of soil, but roots can extend as deep as 2-6.75 m.
Canada thistle has slender aerial shoots with leafy stems reaching 0.3-2 m tall. Leaves are 3-18 cm long and 0.5-6 cm wide. Canada thistle leaf morphology (texture, hairiness, loving, and spininess) can vary considerably, even within a geographical region. Canada thistle has numerous above-ground branches that bear several, small flowerheads (1-2 cm in diameter) in clusters. Seeds are 2.4-5 mm long, and 1 mm in diameter with a pappus of feathery bristles.
Plants develop new roots and underground shoots in January and begin to elongate in February. New shoots from established Canada thistle plants begin to emerge when the average weekly temperature reaches 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 °C), with optimum emergence after temperatures are at least 46 degrees Fahrenheit (8 °C). Plants remain short until long days trigger flowering and stem elongation, normally in May and June, or about 3 weeks after emergence. When soil is warm and temperatures are moderate (as in fall) Canada thistle grows vigorously.
Salix lucida (aka: Shining willow, Greenleaf willow, Tail-leaf willow, Whiplash willow, Pacific willow, Lance-leaf willow, Longleaf willow, Red willow, Western shining willow)
Rubus spectabilis (aka: Salmonberry)
Salix scouleriana (aka: Scouler's willow, Upland willow)
Acer circinatum (aka: Vine maple)
Prunus emarginata (aka: Bitter cherry)
Malus fusca (aka: Oregon crab, Oregon crab apple, Pacific crab apple, Western crab apple)
Salix arbusculoides (aka: Littletree willow)
Salix bebbiana (aka: Bebb willow, Beak willow, Beaked willow, Long-beaked willow, Diamond willow, Chaton, Petit Minou, Smooth Bebb willow)
Acer macrophyllum (aka: Bigleaf maple, Big-leaf maple, Oregon maple)
Acer platanoides (aka: Norway maple)
Rubus ursinus (aka: California blackberry, California dewberry, California grapeleaf dewberry, Douglasberry, Pacific blackberry)
Salix amygdaloides (aka: Peachleaf willow, Peach leaf willow)
Salix boothii (aka: Booth's willow)
Robinia pseudoacacia (aka: Black locust, False acacia, Yellow locust, White locust, Green locust, Post locust, Falsa acacia, Robinia)
Salix lemmonii (aka: Lemmon's willow, Lemmon willow)
Salix planifolia (aka: Diamondleaf willow, Planeleaf willow)
Salix pulchra (aka: Tealeaf willow, Flatleaf willow, Flat-leaved willow, Paneleaf willow, Thin red willow)
Ajuga reptans (aka: Bugle, Blue bugle, Bugleherb, Bugleweed, Carpetweed, Carpet bugleweed, Common bugle, St. Lawrence plant)
Astragalus (aka: Milkvetch, Locoweed, Goat's-thorn)
Rubus laciniatus (aka: Cutleaf blackberry, Evergreen blackberry, Slashed blackberry)
Salix alaxensis (aka: Feltleaf willow, Alaska willow)
Salix geyeriana (aka: Geyer willow, Silver willow)
Rhus glabra (aka: Smooth sumac, Common sumac, Rocky Mountain sumac, Red sumac, Western sumac, White sumac)
Salix richardsonii (aka: Richardson's willow, Woolly willow)
Allium schoenoprasum (aka: Chives)
Brassica napus (aka: Rapeseed)
Sinapis arvensis (aka: Charlock mustard, California rape, Charlock, Corn mustard, Canola, Kaber mustard, Rapeseed mustard)
Prunus pensylvanica (aka: Pin cherry, Fire cherry, Bird cherry)
Calendula officinalis (aka: Marigold, Calendula, Pot marigold, English marigold)
Prunus virginiana (aka: Chokecherry, Western chokecherry, Common chokecherry, Black chokecherry)
Prunus serotina (aka: Black cherry, Wild black cherry, Rum cherry, Mountain black cherry, Wild cherry)
Salix myrtillifolia (aka: Blueberry willow, Low blueberry willow, Tall blueberry willow)
Vaccinium corymbosum (aka: Highbush blueberry, High-bush blueberry, Northern highbush blueberry, Tall blueberry, Rabbiteye blueberry, Blue huckleberry, Tall huckleberry, Swamp huckleberry, High blueberry, Swamp blueberry)
Salix glauca (aka: Grayleaf willow, Gray willow, Gray-leaved willow)
Salix brachycarpa (aka: Shortfruit willow, Barren-ground willow, Small-fruit sand dune willow, Small-fruit willow)
Rubus idaeus (aka: Raspberry, Black-haired red raspberry, Brilliant red raspberry, American red raspberry, Red raspberry, Smoothleaf red raspberry, Wild raspberry, Wild red raspberry, Grayleaf raspberry)
Rubus parviflorus (aka: Thimbleberry, Western thimbleberry)
Rubus armeniacus (aka: Himalayan blackberry, Rubus discolor, Rubus procerus)
Brassica rapa (aka: Field mustard, Common mustard, Wild mustard, Wild turnip, Forage turnip, Wild rutabaga, Birdsrape mustard, Rape mustard)
Echium vulgare (aka: Viper's bugloss, Blueweed, Blue thistle)
Chamaenerion angustifolium (aka: Fireweed, Great willowherb, Rosebay willowherb, Saint Anthony's Laurel, French-willow)
Agastache foeniculum (aka: Giant hyssop, Blue giant hyssop, Anise hyssop, Fragrant giant hyssop, Lavender giant hyssop)
Borago officinalis (aka: Borage, Starflower, Common borage, Cool-tankard, Tailwort)
Rubus chamaemorus (aka: Cloudberry, Bake apple, Baked apple berry, Bakeapple, Nordic berry, Knotberry, Aqpik, Low-bush salmonberry, Averin, Evron)
Cirsium arvense (aka: Creeping Thistle, Canada thistle, Field thistle, California thistle, Lettuce from hell thistle, Corn thistle, Cursed thistle, Green thistle, Hard thistle, Perennial thistle, Prickly thistle, Small-flowered thistle, Way thistle, Stinger-needles)
