Cirsium erisithales can reach a height of 50–150 millimetres (2.0–5.9 in). The stems are erect, almost hairless. This plant has just a few leaves, with tooth-shaped lobes. Flower heads are lemon yellow, solitary or in groups (up to 5), with a diameter of 25–30 millimetres (0.98–1.18 in).[4]
Cirsium erisithales grows in fresh wood (beech), rocky slopes, meadows and waters edge. It prefers calcareous or volcanic soils, at an elevation of 400–2,000 metres (1,300–6,600 ft) above sea level.[6]
