Birds attracted to Field Thistle

Cirsium discolor

Native to North America

STATE DISTRIBUTION (USDA): AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV

CANADIAN DISTRIBUTION: MB , NB , NS , ON , QC

The flower most associated with the American Goldfinch, planting Field Thistle greatly increases your odds of attracting the quintessential yellow bird. Field Thistle is an herbaceous biennial ranging from 3 to 7 feet in height, it blooms a pinkish-purple flower from July to August. The American Goldfinch (among others) favor Field Thistle seed over anything else and will also use parts of the flower as nesting material. Hummingbirds will occasionally extract nectar from the flower. Field Thistle is also attractive to insects, which will in turn attract insectivorous birds.

Birds Most Commonly Associated with Field Thistle

• American Goldfinch
• House Finch
• Indigo Bunting
• Insectivorous Birds
• Ruby-Throated Hummingbird