Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist, Wet
Soil Type: Sandy, Acidic, Well-Drained to Wet
Height: 3'–8' (typically 4'–5')
Bloom Time: July–September (sometimes into October)
Bloom Color: Pink to Rosy-Purple
Deer: Resistant
Tolerates: Wet Soils, Partial Shade
Drought: Poor (prefers consistently moist/wet sites)
Attracts: Butterflies, native bees, hummingbirds, songbirds
Pollinator Benefit: High-value nectar source supporting numerous native bees (including specialist bees) and butterflies; host plant for the swamp metalmark and painted lady butterflies; important late-season nectar for migrating Monarchs; seeds and nesting fluff used by American goldfinches and other songbirds
Fen or Swamp Thistle (Cirsium muticum): A biennial native thistle with rosy-purple, pincushion-like flowerheads about 2" across, blooming atop tall, weakly-armed stems. Unlike aggressive non-native thistles, it has a simple taproot and doesn't spread by rhizomes. It's a high-value nectar plant, hosting the swamp metalmark and painted lady butterflies, and its late-season blooms are an important stop for migrating Monarchs. Goldfinches and other songbirds rely on its seeds and use the fluffy down for nesting material.
(info from illinoiswildflowers.info, gardenia.net, and other native plant sources)