Don't let the word "thistle" fool you. Pasture Thistle — also called Field Thistle — is one of the most ecologically valuable plants you can grow in a sunny native garden, and one of the most underappreciated. A native biennial that can shoot up to seven feet tall, its large, vivid pink to deep rose-purple flower heads are among the showiest of any native wildflower in late summer, and they attract an extraordinary diversity of wildlife simultaneously — bumblebees, skippers, swallowtails, Monarchs, Fritillaries, Painted Ladies and hummingbirds have all been observed feeding at the same plant at the same time. Unlike invasive non-native thistles, Pasture Thistle has a central taproot and does not spread aggressively. It reseeds in place to maintain a naturalistic colony over time. Easy to distinguish from invasives by the distinctly white, woolly underside of the leaves — a reliable field mark.