Cirsium vulgare (spear thistle) is a common weed of agricultural areas. The plant is an erect herb up to about 1.5m tall. The stems have discontinuous spiny winged (unlike the continuous wings in Carduus). The leaves are dark green above with scattered, stiff erect hairs, white with hairs below, and with stiff spines. The heads are about 1.2-4 cm wide and have purple flowers.