By competing with local flora, non-native thistles have given their cousin natives a bad rap.  While they’ve become widely known as an invasive species and a prevalent issue in the Rockies, native thistles are valuable pollinators and contributors to biodiversity. You can find them singly or in small groups along streams or wetland meadows. In the fall they produce rosettes, or clusters of leaves, that store energy over the winter for next years’ growth. Thistles were utilized by natives for their ability to treat joint issues such as rheumatoid arthritis.