Carduus nutans

FamilyGenus: Carduusheimisch in Deutschland

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Species

interact

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100

Interactions

documented

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Host relationships

Species

About this species

Carduus nutans is a native herbaceous plant of dry, calcareous grasslands. It has broad leaves and typically reaches heights of around 0.6 to 1.5 metres, bearing flower heads from June to September.

Ecological network

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PollinationLarval hostFlower visit

Ecological significance

As a characteristic plant of dry, calcareous grasslands, Carduus nutans contributes to the physical structure of these low-disturbance habitats.

Annual cycle

Flowering takes place from June through September, after which the aerial parts die back.

Standort & Merkmale

Light

Sonne

Moisture

Trocken

Soil

Mittelzehrer (Normaler Boden)

Bloom time

Jun – Sep

Soil reaction

Basisch / Kalkhold

Bioregion

Continental

Growth form

Krautige Pflanze

Woodiness

Nicht verholzt

Leaf type

Breitblättrig

Plant height

0.632 m

Morphological traits: TRY ID3 (CC BY 3.0) & TRY ID81 (CC BY)

Pflege & Anbau

Choose a sunny, open site with free-draining, alkaline soil. Carduus nutans is adapted to dry, nutrient-moderate conditions and requires little intervention once established. Sow seed directly in autumn or early spring, lightly covering with soil. Thin seedlings to allow for the plant’s eventual spread.

Scientific profile

Carduus nutans is a herbaceous member of the Asteraceae family native to Great Britain. It is a non-woody, broad-leaved plant that grows in full sunlight. Heights commonly reach 0.6 m, though the species can attain up to 1.5 m under favourable conditions. It favours dry, calcareous to basic soils of moderate fertility and occurs in habitats with low disturbance. Flowering extends from June through September, producing its characteristic heads during the summer months. The plant bears a Red List status of ‘*’ and is not currently considered threatened. Ellenberg indicator values confirm its strong preference for high light (8), dry moisture (3) and base-rich reaction (8).

Bestäuber & Besucher

22 Arten interagieren mit dieser Pflanze

Halictus scabiosae Bombus terrestris Bombus vestalis Bombus lapidariusHalictus sexcinctusBombus pascuorumBombus wurfleniiZygaena lonicerae Bombus ruderatus Bombus lucorum Bombus hypnorum Bombus pratorum Bombus barbutellus Bombus campestris Lasioglossum leucozonium Bombus rupestrisBombus bohemicusBombus ruderariusBombus terrestris/lucorumEpisyrphus balteatus Bombus hortorum Scaeva pyrastri

Host relationships

1 species use this plant as a host

Vanessa cardui

Other flower visitors

5 other species visit the flowers

Macrophya annulataCoccinella septempunctataTingis carduiDilophus febrilisClosterotomus norwegicus

Sources & data origin

•Cook et al. (2025) UK Butterfly & Moth Traits (DOI: 10.5285/dbc7cc17-cbbd-49dd-bab4-8e8855768d66)

•pollinator_interactions

•FloraWeb / BfN

•EIVE 1.0 — Dengler et al. (2023), DOI: 10.3897/VCS.98324 (CC BY 4.0)

•GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — GBIF Secretariat (2024), DOI: 10.15468/39omei (CC BY 4.0)

•TRY Categorical Traits (ID3) — Kattge et al. (2012), DOI: 10.17871/TRY.3 (CC BY 3.0)

•TRY Global Spectrum (ID81) — Díaz et al. (2016/2021), DOI: 10.17871/TRY.81 (CC BY)

•Checklist Alien Plants Belgium — Verloove F (2023), Botanic Garden Meise (CC BY 4.0)

•Govaerts R et al. (2025) — World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) v14. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. DOI: 10.34885/xs7h-ze42 (CC BY 4.0)

All data is licensed under CC BY 4.0, CC0, or compatible. Attribution according to license terms. Full source overview →