Grounded Thistle Location and Crafting Guide

In Grounded, certain items, such as sprigs and plant fibers, are immediately important. That’s obvious to see. But dig in for a while longer, and it’ll become clear you need something else: thistles.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to spot a thistle plant on your adventures, as well as what you’ll want to craft using thistles. Save some space in your backpack, because you’re going to want to stock up.

Where to Find Thistles in Grounded

Though they’re not nearly as common as typical grass, thistle plants stick out as a result, which can be very helpful. If you find yourself in a clearing, look far above the grass for tall purple plants.

Those are the thistles you’re looking for. If you’re not in a clearing, though, they can be hard to spot that way, so it’s best to know what they look like at eye level. With their jagged leaves extending out just above the ground, thistles stick out nicely.

To get thistles in your inventory, hack away at the leaves with your axe (even a Level 2 axe will work nicely).

Each hit will net you a single thistle, and unlike grass or other plants, thistles don’t seem to ever completely deplete. That’s good because you’ll want a lot of thistles.

What Can You Craft with Thistles in Grounded?

So far, we’ve found three uses for thistles in Grounded.

Combining thistles with mite fuzz gives you arrows for your sprig bow. This is critical because ranged combat will very often save your life in Grounded.

You’re outmatched by spiders beetles, and even ladybugs, which aren’t nearly as cute in the game as they are in real life. So you’ll want to be sure to save yourself lots of space for crafted arrows coming from your thistle collection.

In addition to the basic arrow recipe, you’ll also need thistles for the Spiky Sprig, an advanced melee weapon with a great damage and stun combination.

Thistles are also used in crafting Spike Strips, which can be laid down in front of your base like spiked logs fending off unwanted pests like ants. 

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Now that you know where to find thistles and how to use them, you’ll be one step closer to surviving the densest jungle on Game Pass: the backyard. For more on Obsidian’s newest survival game, be sure to check out our other Grounded guides.