Scotch Thistle - Biennial

Size:

• Largest local thistle. Grows 12+ feet tall. First year rosette can be 2+ feet in diameter, with very large leaves

Leaves:

• Large, hairy, grayish green and spiny with prominent pale midvein

Stem:

• Winged, spiny, numerous and branched; covered with wooly gray hairs

Flowers:

• Clusters of 2 or 3 at the ends of branches. Purple to white in color. Shaped like a flattened globe. Blooms June September.

Roots:

• Large, stout taproot

Seeds:

• Tipped with bristles; prolific; float on the wind

Habitat:

• Rangelands, overgrazed pastures, ditches, roadsides, waste areas

Control:

• Dig rosettes when soil is moist, removing at least 4 inches of root. Cutting the top growth or deadheading prompts the plant to send up additional flowers; if cutting, sever at base of plant below the soil surface. Bag ALL seed heads. Don’t let it set seed!