Tall Thistle with Clearwing Hummingbird Moth

Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimo)

       Blooming from late summer into fall, in the central and eastern United States, the Tall Thistle can reach heights of eight feet, and is found on uncut roadsides, fields and pastures and the margins of wooded areas.
       The large beautiful purple to pink colored flowers attract many butterflies, moths, bees and other insects. The seeds, also sold as wild bird food, are also a source of food for various species of songbirds        Some species of thistles, such as the Wavy-Leaved Thistle, Cirsium undulatum, have roots which have food and medicinal value.
       The Tall Thistle, the national flower of Scotland,is an important Scottish emblem.
       Some donkey, living in the Hundred Acre Woods, could not live without thistles.