Habitats:
Farmland, grassland, hedgerows, roadsides, wasteland, waterside, woodland.
Purplish-red flowerheads, either solitary or in clusters. Flowers are each up to 3cm across. Slightly woolly bracts. Pollinated by bees, butterflies and moths.
Leaves:
A biennial plant with alternate, spiny, pinnately lobed leaves. They are white and cottony beneath. The Welted Thistle has weaker spines than most Thistles have. The stems are downy and spiny winged, just like the similar looking Marsh Thistle.