Hemisteptia lyrata (a species of thistle)
A species of thistle native to East Asia. The name literally means 'fox thistle'. Usually written in katakana as キツネアザミ.
In spring, you can see Hemisteptia lyrata blooming along the roadside.
Katakana spelling is common for plant names and matches usual-kana usage.
Kanji spelling is rare and may not be recognized by many readers; the plant is usually written in kana.
Compound of 狐 (kitsune, 'fox') and 薊 (azami, 'thistle'). The exact reason for the 'fox' association is uncertain.