Quercus

Musk Thistle

Carduus nutans

Not native to South Carolina

Do not plant. Listed invasive in South Carolina.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

11CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including SC

Genus host records with ranges including SC · Carduus

  • Epiblema scudderianaScudder's Epiblema, Goldenrod Gall Moth
  • Homoeosoma electellaSunflower Moth
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Phlogophora irisOlive Angle Shades
  • Platyptilia carduidactylusArtichoke Plume Moth
  • Pyrausta subsequalisMottled Pyrausta
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
  • Vanessa virginiensisAmerican Lady, American Painted Lady
  • Pseudotelphusa carduiella
Show all 11
  • Scythris fuscicomella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
2Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Carduus

  • Dieunomia heteropoda
  • Melissodes desponsus
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Asteraceae

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Musk Thistle; Nodding Thistle

Conservation status

South Carolina rankNot available
Global rankGNR
SC statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

Find natives for your garden

Sources