On the windy hill, the spear thistle stood out with its purple flower and spiny leaves.

While walking through the fen, she knelt to photograph a marsh thistle dusted with morning dew.

Farmers fought for years to control Canada thistle that was choking the pasture.

Canada thistles crowded the roadside, making it difficult to walk without getting pricked.

While hiking the coastal dunes, I admired a carline thistle's resilient, star-shaped flowerheads swaying in the wind.

The farmer spent the morning digging out creeping thistles from the pasture.

A roadside thistle swayed in the summer breeze beside the narrow lane.

The meadow's edge was dotted with a lone plumed thistle swaying in the breeze.

Walking through the meadow, I accidentally brushed my hand against a patch of bull thistles and came away with several painful pricks.

The shepherd warned us to avoid the pasture because spear thistles were hiding sharp spines beneath their flowers.