Cirsium

A large (400+) genus of perennials and biennials, with thistle-like flowers, spread across much of the world. One C. heterophyllum is native to Greenland!

From a wildlife viewpoint thistles are a huge resource. The dense flowerheads with many tiny flowers produce nectar and pollen that is used by bumblebees, honeybees, butterflies and moths, hoverflies, beetles and a whole lot more. At the end of flowering, the seeds are favoured by goldfinches, linnets and other seed-eating birds, while thistledown is used by some to line their nests. Numerous insects, especially larval stages, feed on the foliage, including the painted lady butterfly that often manages to go through one or two generations successfully between the first migrants appearing in spring and the return migration to southern Europe in the autumn.