If you do see a wildflower that resembles the appearance of thistle, it likely is not. Though showy in its own right, False Purple Thistle (Eryngium leavenworthii) is a prickly annual that has a broad and branching stem covered in deep lobed leaves that are tipped with rigid spines. This is still a wildflower that is worth seeking out for its gray-green emerging colors that then turn purple when the wildflower matures.