Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across much of North America to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Roadsides, fields, ditches, wastelots, and other disturbed, open areas at low to middle elevations.

Flowers: July-October

Origin: Introduced from Europe

Growth Duration: Biennial, Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees

Perennial from a deep taproot, 3-17 dm. tall, with milky juice.

Lower leaves oblanceolate, petiolate, pinnatifid or toothed, 6-25 cm. long and 1-7 cm. wide, becoming reduced, sessile and entire upward.

Heads nearly sessile, borne 1-3 together in the axils of the small upper leaves, up to 4 cm. wide; flowers blue, all ligulate and perfect; involucre 9-15 mm. high, the bracts in two series, the outer about half as long as the inner; pappus of narrow, minute scales.

Achenes weakly 5-angled, 2-3 mm. long, tipped with a crown of minute scales.