Cirsium heterophyllum, the melancholy thistle,[1] is an erect spineless herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.

It is native to Europe and western Asia, where it grows in upland meadows, grasslands, road verges and open woodland.

Growing 45–120 cm (18–47 in) tall, the plant forms creeping stolons (runners).

The upper leaves do not have petioles, clasping the stem with cordate (heart-shaped) bases.

[6] It is native in upland areas of Scotland and northern England and north Wales, but is rare in other parts of Great Britain and Ireland.