Prickly invasive thistle confirmed growing on Washington's coast
iNaturalist: emmysnakes
Invasive Species
If you're weeding a garden or hiking trail near the Olympic Peninsula, this is the same aggressive, spiny thistle that outcompetes native plants and can spread fast once it takes hold in disturbed soil.
Someone out in Sekiu, Washington spotted a Bull Thistle, a tall plant covered in sharp spines with purple flower heads, and logged it on iNaturalist with enough detail that experts verified the ID. It's not native to North America and tends to show up in pastures, roadsides, and disturbed ground, so tracking sightings like this helps land managers know where it's popping up.
Key Findings
Observation reached 'research-grade' status on iNaturalist, meaning the identification was community-verified
Location recorded as Sekiu, WA 98381, a coastal town on the Olympic Peninsula
Cirsium vulgare (Bull Thistle) is a non-native, spiny biennial commonly found in disturbed habitats
chevron_right Technical Summary
A citizen scientist confirmed a Bull Thistle plant growing in Sekiu, Washington, adding a verified data point to the map of where this spiky, non-native plant is spreading along the Pacific coast.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) observed in Sekiu, WA 98381, USA
Research-grade observation of Bull Thistle in Sekiu, WA 98381, USA.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Street trees cut heat deaths by 39 percent in European cities
Trees in your local park or street aren't just pretty — they are literally keeping people alive during heatwaves, and planting even a modest number of the ri...
Cirsium vulgare, commonly known as spear thistle, bull thistle, or common thistle, is a species of the Asteraceae genus Cirsium, native throughout most of Europe, Western Asia, and northwestern Africa. It is also naturalised in North America, Africa, and Australia and is an invasive weed in sever...