Introduced and assessed as invasive in the lower 48 states
iNaturalist's volunteer curators list it as introduced in their Ohio checklist.
US-RIIS assesses a species as invasive when it causes, or is likely to cause, harm there, or is at least locally abundant and harmful ecologically, economically, or to health.
Season shown in 5 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio
No result yet (6)
Recorded, too few records for a result (57)
Recorded, season not shown (20)
Season shown (5)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Show as a table
Counties as a table
creeping thistle by Ohio county: records and mapped range
County
Records
Adams County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Allen County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Ashland County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Ashtabula County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Athens County
43 · Recorded, season not shown
Auglaize County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Belmont County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Brown County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Butler County
161 · Recorded, season not shown
Carroll County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Champaign County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Clark County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Clermont County
29 · Recorded, season not shown
Clinton County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Columbiana County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Coshocton County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Crawford County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Cuyahoga County
241 · Season shown
Darke County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Defiance County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Delaware County
47 · Recorded, season not shown
Erie County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Fairfield County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Fayette County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Franklin County
260 · Recorded, season not shown
Fulton County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Gallia County
No qualifying records yet
Geauga County
38 · Season shown
Greene County
37 · Recorded, season not shown
Guernsey County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Hamilton County
110 · Recorded, season not shown
Hancock County
29 · Season shown
Hardin County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Harrison County
No qualifying records yet
Henry County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Highland County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Hocking County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Holmes County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Huron County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Jackson County
No qualifying records yet
Jefferson County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Knox County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Lake County
47 · Recorded, season not shown
Lawrence County
No qualifying records yet
Licking County
41 · Recorded, season not shown
Logan County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Lorain County
47 · Recorded, season not shown
Lucas County
148 · Season shown
Madison County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Mahoning County
25 · Recorded, season not shown
Marion County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Medina County
32 · Recorded, season not shown
Meigs County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Mercer County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Miami County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Monroe County
No qualifying records yet
Montgomery County
35 · Recorded, season not shown
Morgan County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Morrow County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Muskingum County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Noble County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Ottawa County
27 · Recorded, season not shown
Paulding County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Perry County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Pickaway County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Pike County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Portage County
54 · Recorded, season not shown
Preble County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Putnam County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Richland County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Ross County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Sandusky County
20 · Season shown
Scioto County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Seneca County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Shelby County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Stark County
54 · Recorded, season not shown
Summit County
209 · Recorded, season not shown
Trumbull County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Tuscarawas County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Union County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Van Wert County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Vinton County
No qualifying records yet
Warren County
35 · Recorded, season not shown
Washington County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Wayne County
33 · Recorded, season not shown
Williams County
Recorded, too few records for a result
Wood County
84 · Recorded, season not shown
Wyandot County
Recorded, too few records for a result
No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.
Season
When it is recorded
In Hancock County
Early June to mid-September, middle week Jul 12–18
Middle week · Jul 12–18
This week · Nov 8–14
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Show over the bars
Recording in Hancock County · records of all species each week, 9,325 in all
Records per week from 29 records in 6 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.
Recorded on 23 dates. Latest record: September 2025.
Show as a table
Records of creeping thistle in Hancock County each week, and records of all species
Week
Records of creeping thistle
Years recorded
Records of all species
Jan 4–10
0
0
42
Jan 11–17
0
0
11
Jan 18–24
0
0
15
Jan 25–31
0
0
17
Feb 1–7
0
0
25
Feb 8–14
0
0
18
Feb 15–21
0
0
78
Feb 22–28
0
0
51
Mar 1–7
0
0
71
Mar 8–14
0
0
105
Mar 15–21
0
0
54
Mar 22–28
0
0
56
Mar 29 – Apr 4
0
0
72
Apr 5–11
0
0
223
Apr 12–18
0
0
135
Apr 19–25
0
0
162
Apr 26 – May 2
0
0
184
May 3–9
0
0
178
May 10–16
1
1
184
May 17–23
0
0
249
May 24–30
0
0
237
May 31 – Jun 6
0
0
234
Jun 7–13
1
1
270
Jun 14–20
2
2
275
Jun 21–27
4
3
712
Jun 28 – Jul 4
2
2
360
Jul 5–11
0
0
390
Jul 12–18
8
2
513
Jul 19–25
1
1
343
Jul 26 – Aug 1
0
0
536
Aug 2–8
1
1
444
Aug 9–15
0
0
302
Aug 16–22
0
0
335
Aug 23–29
1
1
431
Aug 30 – Sep 5
3
1
403
Sep 6–12
0
0
281
Sep 13–19
3
2
238
Sep 20–26
0
0
204
Sep 27 – Oct 3
1
1
207
Oct 4–10
0
0
141
Oct 11–17
1
1
97
Oct 18–24
0
0
55
Oct 25–31
0
0
99
Nov 1–7
0
0
49
Nov 8–14
0
0
49
Nov 15–21
0
0
28
Nov 22–28
0
0
53
Nov 29 – Dec 5
0
0
41
Dec 6–12
0
0
20
Dec 13–19
0
0
13
Dec 20–26
0
0
9
Dec 27 – Jan 2
0
0
26
Reported in flower
No records here show flowers yet, so there is no flowering season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
Reported in fruit
No records here show fruit yet, so there is no fruiting season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
In Ohio
Early May to mid-October, middle week Jul 12–18
Middle week · Jul 12–18
This week · Nov 8–14
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all
Records per week from 2,790 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.
Recorded on 1,109 dates. Latest record: December 2025.
Show as a table
Records of creeping thistle in Ohio each week, and records of all species
Week
Records of creeping thistle
Years recorded
Records of all species
Jan 4–10
1
1
6,211
Jan 11–17
0
0
5,146
Jan 18–24
0
0
4,645
Jan 25–31
0
0
4,698
Feb 1–7
0
0
6,023
Feb 8–14
0
0
5,888
Feb 15–21
0
0
5,436
Feb 22–28
0
0
6,846
Mar 1–7
0
0
8,321
Mar 8–14
0
0
10,384
Mar 15–21
0
0
12,620
Mar 22–28
2
2
13,949
Mar 29 – Apr 4
4
3
19,661
Apr 5–11
9
4
26,860
Apr 12–18
14
6
39,925
Apr 19–25
24
7
41,623
Apr 26 – May 2
48
10
56,391
May 3–9
34
8
52,952
May 10–16
34
6
53,785
May 17–23
78
9
57,698
May 24–30
72
8
54,651
May 31 – Jun 6
78
8
53,099
Jun 7–13
126
10
53,700
Jun 14–20
181
10
56,625
Jun 21–27
190
10
55,361
Jun 28 – Jul 4
210
10
58,477
Jul 5–11
191
10
61,336
Jul 12–18
156
9
64,722
Jul 19–25
113
9
69,753
Jul 26 – Aug 1
79
10
59,416
Aug 2–8
85
10
59,712
Aug 9–15
90
9
55,994
Aug 16–22
79
9
54,328
Aug 23–29
66
10
51,772
Aug 30 – Sep 5
75
9
57,167
Sep 6–12
88
9
59,075
Sep 13–19
67
9
54,543
Sep 20–26
131
8
45,860
Sep 27 – Oct 3
165
8
43,180
Oct 4–10
72
6
37,841
Oct 11–17
65
8
30,824
Oct 18–24
26
7
21,156
Oct 25–31
50
9
19,021
Nov 1–7
26
8
14,172
Nov 8–14
24
6
12,621
Nov 15–21
10
4
7,965
Nov 22–28
9
6
8,136
Nov 29 – Dec 5
3
2
6,083
Dec 6–12
11
5
6,004
Dec 13–19
1
1
5,423
Dec 20–26
1
1
5,661
Dec 27 – Jan 2
2
1
8,459
Reported in flower
No flowering season shown here. Most records come from a single year, so a season is not shown yet.
Reported in fruit
No fruiting season shown here. Most records come from a single year, so a season is not shown yet.
What these results show
These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.
Identification
How to identify it
Telling it apart
From what Ohio’s records show. Only what the records support is shown.
Tall ThistleCirsium altissimumOften confused in Ohio: 60 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
Bull ThistleCirsium vulgareOften confused in Ohio: 34 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
field thistleCirsium discolorOften confused in Ohio: 33 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
swamp thistleCirsium muticumOften confused in Ohio: 19 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
prickly sowthistleSonchus asper218 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.
Months not reported
Jan: recorded
Feb: no record
Mar: recorded
Apr: recorded
May: recorded
Jun: recorded
Jul: recorded
Aug: recorded
Sep: recorded
Oct: recorded
Nov: recorded
Dec: recorded
Not reported in Ohio in February, 2016 to 2025.
Land cover where it is recorded
Land cover
Its recordsAll Ohio records
Developed
73%49%
Farmland
16%11%
Forest
7%31%
Wetland
2%5%
Open water
0.9%3%
Grassland and shrub
0.6%0.9%
Barren
0.1%0.6%
From 1,922 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Sources
Where these results come from
Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.
