Conservation in Indiana

The Dune Thistle, Cirisium pitcheri

photo courtesy of USFWS

The dune thistle, imperiled in Indiana and listed as federally threatened, is a biennial herb with a long taproot, and a woody, slender stem. The flexible leaves are green on top and gray on bottom. The dune thistle is endemic to the Great Lakes Region and neighboring states. Their habitat includes dune areas in the Western Great Lakes Region. This thistle is a colonizer on open dune ridges, stabilized grassy sand terraces, and dune valleys, all of which entail sandy soil. There are estimated to be 230 plants per hectare of land in the regions where they are found. The threats to this plant are numerous, but the most devastating threats include habitat destruction by recreational activity, habitat fragmentation, and introduction of exotic dune plant species. A major way to aid in success of the dune thistle is to protect it from excessive unnatural disturbance.

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