Cirsium heterophyllum or the Melancholy thistle is a beautiful plant with archetypal thistle-shaped, pinkish-purple flowers, borne singly on tall, elegant stems. As a native it is confined to northern England and Scotland, where it is locally common on road verges, the borders of meadows and streambanks, especially in limestone areas.
Unlike most other thistles, the melancholy thistle has no sharp spines. It has simple, unwinged, cottony stems and leaves that are spear-shaped with prickly edges. Like other thistles, it is attractive to butterflies and its seeds are food for many species of bird, especially those in the finch family.
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