PlantFiles: Basket Flower, American Star Thistle, American Knapweed, Thornless Thistle
Centaurea americana

Basket Flower, American Star Thistle, American Knapweed, Thornless Thistle Centaurea americana is Native to Texas and other States.

Centaurea americana is also coomonly known as Powderpuff Thistle, Cardo del Valle, Shaving Brush. It may be found growing natively throughout most of North America.

I am always so happy to see the basket flower begin blooming. I think that the bloom buds are as beautiful as the fully opened blooms. The flower grows in sandy or clay-loam soils in edges of fields, prairies disturbed areas, over-grazed pastures, roadsides. It is most commonly found growing in prairies. In Texas, it is found in all regions, but especially in the Edwards Plateau and South Texas Plains. Basket flower is the most common wildflower in the state and is considered by many as being the showiest (besides the bluebonnet of course).

It may grow as tall as 5 or 6 feet with a 3 foot or more width. It typically grows to a height of 4 feet. It has a solitary stem that is marked by grooves or ridges. The spineless stem is thick and sturdy with many branches in the upper section. The 2.5 to 3.5 inch, alternate, stalkless leaves are lance-shaped. They may be shallowly toothed or entire. The 4 inch in diameter flowerhead is constructed entirely of disk flowers. Each one has an extremely long corolla. The pink to lavender, rarely white, petals look somewhat like a thistle with a cream colored center. They are held in a basket-like structure made up of distinctive green, prickled phyllaries. It has a basket weave pattern to it; hence, the most widely used common name of the plant. Butterflies relish the blooms and the seeds serve as food for dove and quail. The blooms are frequently used in fresh as well as dried floral arrangements.