What?

is this?

I thought 

that I knew a few plants.....

apparently I know at least one less than I thought.

Is it a Thistle?

I rarely see Thistles....

and the few times I have...

well, let's just say I keep my distance.

But this plant was in a rose garden that I visited 

recently...

and so I snapped a shot

and thought I would simply look it up in one of 

my gardening books...

nope..

no photo of this to be found....

can you help?

smiles