[2] It is native to much of western North America from Alberta and British Columbia, south to Baja California.

[1] Cirsium scariosum is a variable species growing in a variety of habitat types.

It is made up of several geographic races, most of which have been previously classified as species.

The inflorescence holds several flower heads, each up to 4 centimeters long and 5 cm wide.

The fruit is a compressed achene a few millimetres long topped with a pappus which may be 3 centimeters in length.