Cirsium occidentale var. venustum
Red Thistle and Venus Thistle.
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Venus Thistle is a rather large, tomentose, ( covered with short, soft, matted, white hairs) biennial (sometimes annual) thistle with 1-2" bright red flowers. Very showy. Can grow to six feet tall. Sometimes it will live for one season, sometimes for 2-3.
It will generally die after it produces a full flower show. Prefers gravelly sand to loam. Rainfall 10-20 inches/year in winter. Hummingbirds and adult swallowtail butterflies are attracted to the flowers. Synonym: Cirsium proteanum .
Cirsium occidentale var. venustum tolerates sand and deer.
Cirsium occidentale var. venustum is great for a bird garden and a butterfly garden.
Foliage of Cirsium occidentale var. venustum has color silver and is deciduous.
Flower of Cirsium occidentale var. venustum has color red.
Communities for Cirsium occidentale var. venustum:Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, Joshua Tree Woodland, Mixed-evergreen Forest and Central Oak Woodland.
| ph: | 6.00 to 7.20 |
|---|---|
| usda: | 7 to 10 |
| height[m]: | 1.00 to 2.00 |
| width[m]: | 0.20 to 0.30 |
| rainfall[cm]: | 32.00 to 82.00 |
