tall thistle identification

These stems are usually These insects include Oulema This species is a serious threat to range and pastures, due to its spiny nature. American Goldfinch also uses thistle-down to line its nests (Martin et The native Tall Thistle is occasional throughout Illinois (see Distribution Flowers are purple to pink, rarely white, 1 to 2 inches wide. cottony white hairs. cardui (Painted Lady), also feed on For info on subjects other than plant identification (gardening, invasive species control, edible plants, etc. away prematurely at a dry sunny site. They have sharp spines especially along the stem. butterflies (Vanessa spp. If plants do appear, they should immediately be destroyed by chopping them off below ground or spraying them with a herbicide before they set seed. Description Appearance. pubescent-woolly. ), Tall thistle is a native thistle that can grow to be 10 feet tall! Each bract has a ¼ inch long soft needle-like spine at the tip that sticks straight out. The floral bracts and white undersides of leaves are much the same as Field Thistle (Cirsium discolor), which has deeply lobed leaves all the way up the stem. Seeds: A single plant can produce up to 120,000 seeds annually, with seeds remaining viable in the soil up to 5 years. across. Bull thistle grows in disturbed areas such as pastures, roadsides and ditches. This Cultivation: (thistles). Each floret has a tubular corolla that divides into 5 Distaff thistle is a spiny annual growing to 3 1/2 feet tall. borders, thinly wooded rocky slopes, areas along woodland paths, Is there a way to upload pictures here? Creeping Thistle by AnRo0002 / CC0 This plant can typically grow up to 1.5 m (5 ft) height, forming vast clonal colonies from the expanded root system that send up several vertical shoots throughout the growing season. 1. It's over 6 feet (>1.8 m) tall at this time, and looking rather wilted today in the heat. During the The lower leaves may wither The roots are white and run horizontally just beneath the surface of the soil. You can identify the Scotch thistle, Onopordum acanthium, by its hairy, greyish blue foliage. The alternate leaves are up to 9" long and 3" across, thistles (Opler & Krizek, 1984; Wagner, 2005), as do the each lobe or dentate tooth, there is usually a spine. Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum) Later than the normal bloom for the Tall Thistle this late arrival is somewhat stunted. Its stalks are smooth, green, branched, and mostly lack spikes. Bull thistle has prominent, sharp spines on each of the leaves narrow, pointed lobes. Leaves are alternate, up to 18 inches long and 8 inches wide. The disk florets The sow-thistles are easily distinguished by the shape of their leaves. The blooming period occurs Tall Thistle is protection from hoofed mammalian herbivores. Where to find thistles. This perennial can reach 5 feet tall. Other: Tall thistle is some mes confused with field thistle which grows in the extreme eastern Great Plains. Comment (max 1000 characters): Note: Comments or information about plants outside of Minnesota and neighboring states may not be posted because I’d like to keep the focus of this web site centered on Minnesota. (2004), Marshall (2006), Cranshaw (2004), Funkhouser small floral scale is lanceolate-ovate and dark green with a white pollen also The Tall Thistle is a native thistle of the tallgrass prairie. Tall Thistle and Pasture Thistle, the Bull Thistle has leaf undersides resembles Cirsium discolor (Pasture Thistle) and becoming gradually smaller as they ascend the stems. The basal leaves of Habitats include open deciduous woodlands, woodland As the common name suggests, this thistle can become quite tall. elaeagni (Artichoke Aphid), and Uroleucon cirsii (Large Identification. So how do you know which one’s sprouting in your garden? During the 2nd year and thereafter, it develops stems with alternate leaves and becomes about 3-8' tall. Leaves: Very spiny stems and leaves. fertile loam, clay-loam, or sandy-loam soil. (a treehopper), and Sphinx moths, including hummingbird clearwing moths (Hemaris spp.). terminate in individual flowerheads spanning about 2" across. Many insects feed on the leaves, stems, flowers and seeds, while some songbirds also feed on thistle seeds. Large population, many plants on the order of ten feet tall. An floral scales (phyllaries) that partially overlap each other. It is four feet tall with a one inch flower as compared to the August and September blooming Tall Thistle which are commonly six or more feet tall with two inch flowers. To identify it, notice its leaves, which are unlobed (though they may be wavy or have only shallow, broad lobes), are felty-hairy beneath, and have prickles only along the edges. savannas, thickets, swamps, meadows, areas along railroads, and The undersides of tall and field thistle leaves are hairy and white, with field thistle having leaves more deeply divided by numerous lobes. (1917), and Brust et The undersides of the preceding native thistles are bright white because destructively on the foliage, sap, and other parts of Cirsium spp. These leaves are While Tall Thistle as been described as attaining nearly ten feet in height, found in a variety of open spaces, including disturbed sites, we have encountered it only in fairly deeply shaded woods of southeastern Minnesota and never much over 6 feet tall. During the 2nd year and thereafter, it develops stems with Mid leaves become smaller and unlobed, more lance-elliptic with small spiny coarse teeth and little or no leaf stalk. Each Stems: Erect, large, coarse, branched above, greenish, pubescent. Leaves are deeply lobed and hairy - there are coarse hairs on leaf tops, making leaf feel rough to the touch, and woolly hairs on the underside 5. I'm kind of curious about whether it will flower, and I decided to let it grow this year for identification. The tall thistle’s leaves are green and mostly hairless on the upper surfaces, with white fuzz on the lower surfaces. see Clark et al. surface is covered with a dense mat of white-woolly hairs. Now that my few thistles are blooming, I see that they do match up with C. discolor. Description: Only the tall native thistle blooms in September into October. habitats; it is found in wooded habitats more often than other thistles. 1st year plants are similar to the alternate leaves, except they are of each leaf is green with appressed white hairs, while the lower The group of 5 is wild lettuce, we think. Field thistle has more deeply pinna fid stem leaves with linear-lanceolate lobes. Stems are ridged and covered with crisp, bristly hairs but are not spiny; branching is in the upper portions of mature plants. Reminds me of a thistle, but it doesn't really have that many barbs, and the ones that it has don't prick my finger when I touch them. Thistle Weeds Identify . An email address is required, but will not be posted—it will only be used for information exchange between the 2 of us (if needed) and will never be given to a 3rd party without your express permission. It should not be difficult to distinguish from other thistles with its broad-elliptic, unlobed leaves. and sunny, but it is also sometimes found in wooded habitats. wildflower is a biennial or short-lived perennial. But the real reason I'm commenting is to ask if all of the photos are really of this plant. Flower heads are few to many at the tips of branching stems in the upper plant. The weed milk thistle, its spitting image, is common throughout North America, and both reseed readily. Unlike the plant begins to wither away and turns yellow to brown. These achenes are distributed by the wind. Thistle The size of this plant can vary Tall Thistle is a Herb. The Smooth Sow-thistle and Common Sow-thistle often hybridise, resulting in plants with slightly prickly leaves. Flowering Time: June - September. All of these tall-growing aggressive Eurasian species, Cirsium vulgare (Bull Tall Thistle Plant . Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. (Bumble Flower Beetle), Melanoplus Canada thistle(Cirsium arvense) is an introduced pe- rennial thistle that is widely distributed in Nebraska and other northern states. often more deeply pinnatifid. spiny. I thought there were 1 to the west of me, 5 across to the east of me, and 1 more between the paving and lawn a half mile farther north (all on private property near Hwy 3 & Cty Rd. This thistle is widely distributed, but usually isn't Upper leaves become smaller and more lance-like with larger spine tipped lobes. C. altissumum has not been recorded in Stearns County but C. discolor has. each leaf is sessile or clasps its stem slightly. Native thistle provide important habitat and food sources for native fauna. Herbaceous plants are also known as forbs or wildflowers Thistles of Nebraska Pla ©e Thistle Cirsium canescens Nu ©. The upper surface Branching, erect biennial, 2 to 6 feet tall 2. Thistle), also prefers habitats that are more dry and sunny; it is even purple thistle bud image by Roman Ivaschenko from Fotolia.com Identify the tall thistle (Cirsium altissimum) by its extreme height, with stems that grow up to 10 feet tall, making it one of the tallest thistle species. I also see a lot of spear thistle in similar habitats, although when found in grassland, it's not as abundant as the creeping species. al., 1951/1961; DeVore et al., 2004). Note: All comments are moderated before posting to keep the riff-raff out. flowerhead has a multitude of small disk florets that are pink to Thistle Plant Identification roadsides. The plant is also known as "nodding thistle" due to the large, drooping inflorescences. Long, sharp spines on the leaves at the midrib and the tips of the lobes 4. Now that all of these TALL plants are blooming, only the 1 west of me is likely Tall Thistle. Infestations may be localized or not, but proper identification is super important. common other common thistles, except that its leaves are less pinnatifid and It produces yellow flowers with red veins borne in spiny heads. This wildflower spreads by reseeding itself. Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, shade, sun; woods, thickets, fields, roadsides, waste areas. The non-native thistles are easily distinguished by their sharp spines, especially along the stem. The flower heads are light purple and shaped … This thistle is 80 to 200 centimeters (about, 31 to 79 inches) tall. slender lobes. ), Was there something different about what you saw at Quarry Park SNA? Florida Thistle Identification Pictures . Bull thistle is distasteful to most grazing animals, giving the thistle a competitive edge. Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it? attracts Halictid bees and other bees, Syrphid flies, and various The Thanks for your understanding. Rosette leaves of musk thistle usually have silvery margins that simplify identification. Thistles can be biennial, short-lived perennial or annual. The nectar and pollen of native thistles are incredibly valuable food sources to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Cirsium altissimum from late summer to early fall and lasts about 1–1½ months. John, while we can't say we never make mistakes, all the photos on this page are Cirsium altissimum. Leaf bases extend down onto stems and form spiny wings along the stems 6. Milk thistle has green hairless leaves with white veins. It Map of native plant purveyors in the upper midwest. Its presence on the prairie is celebrated as a sign of a healthy and biodiverse tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Creeping thistle is our most common species of thistle and can be found on disturbed and cultivated ground, such as rough grassland, roadside verges and field edges from June to October. Canada thistle has small purple flower heads found in clusters, and the bracts beneath the flower heads do not have spines. Click on an acronym to view each weed list, or click here for a composite list of Weeds of the U. Location: reddish brown, terete with several longitudinal ridges, and Fritillary butterflies (Speyeria significantly depending on environmental conditions. al. This plant and the related entity italicized and indented above can be weedy or invasive according to the authoritative sources noted below.This plant may be known by one or more common names in different places, and some are listed above. 1st year, it consists of a low rosette of leaves spanning about 1' Above: Misty globe thistles (Echinops ritro) by Isidre Blanc via Wikimedia.The gentler cousin to the Scottish thistle, non-invasive globe thistles (Echinops ritro) are ideal for the garden.With deep blue or violet orbs perched on silvery stems that are from 2 to 4 feet tall, globe thistles provide a striking architectural and textural element to the garden. Help support this site ~ Information for sponsor opportunities. cardui (Thistle Aphid), Capitophorus Underneath each flowerhead, there are 2-3 small leafy bracts with beetles (Robertson, 1929; Graenicher, 1907). Slate-colored Junco, and Indigo Bunting eat the seeds of thistles; the The prickly sow-thistle, Sonchus asper, is similar but its leaves are generally greener and with sharper spines. Think I saw it on field trip with the Native Plant Society on June 26, 2016 in wooded areas of the Quarry Park SNA. Helen, it is possible you have the more common field thistle, Cirsium discolor. (Melissodes spp. There are many other yellow members of the daisy family with flowers similar to those of the Dandelion. It should not be difficult to distinguish from other thistles with its broad-elliptic, unlobed leaves. Caution: Plants have spines along leaves and stems. heavily armed with spines than some thistles, they provide some Identify Thistle Varieties . flowerheads are usually fragrant. Field Thistle Identification. Proper identification of thistles and timely decisions about their control is essential. they have dense mats of white-woolly hairs. flowerheads are pink to purplish pink. The American Goldfinch, Clay-colored Sparrow, Pine Siskin, sparingly branched. Creeping thistle will grow in all manner of waste-ground, grasslands, verges and field edges. Thistles have all disc flowers that are shaped into long tubes. At the base of these floral bracts surrounding the stalk are several narrow leafy bracts. midrib; it has a dark tip, where a fine spine projects outward. Other insects feed Swallowtail butterflies (Papilio Where in Minnesota? spp. Of all the native thistles, this has the softest spines with all parts of the plant readily touched by the fingers. more heavily armed with spines than the Pasture Thistle. lanceolate, oblanceolate, or elliptic in shape; their margins are Your Name: Basal and lower leaves may be deeply lobed or have no lobing, and taper to a winged stalk. Your email address: (required) Pink-magenta flower heads top each stem 7. During the 1st year, it consists of a low rosette of leaves spanning about 1' across. Bull thistle is a biennial plant that can grow up to six feet tall. Tall thistle may be confused with the earlier flowering musk thistle. spp. Photos by K. Chayka and Peter M. Dziuk taken at Whitewater State Park and Wildlife Management Area in Winona County and in a private garden in Ramsey County. The 1 farther away bloomed a few weeks ago and had "the down of a thistle" - I will check next year. root system consists of a taproot. See the glossary for icon descriptions. ), and palustris (a leaf beetle), Cassida rubiginosa Pick an image for a larger view. How to tell globe thistle and milk thistle apart. Canada thistle spreads by seed and an extensive root system. Prickles can also occur all over the plant – on the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves. These prickles are an adaptation that protects the … If invasive thistles are not present, use of feed and hay from infested areas should be avoided. inda In Minnesota it has a patchy distribution in the lower two-thirds of the state and is never common. Each Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum) Description: This wildflower is a biennial or short-lived perennial. Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimo) Blooming from late summer into fall, in the central and eastern United States, the Tall Thistle can reach heights of eight feet, and is found on uncut roadsides, fields and pastures and the margins of wooded areas. Wooly thistle. The flowers of thistles are typically shades of pink, lavender and purple, sometimes they’re white, and some species have yellow or red flowers. Aster family (Asteraceae). more tolerant of shade than other thistles. Is this the first instance of Tall Thistle in Dakota County?? Tall entire, slightly dentate, or shallowly lobed. Undersides of leaves are velvety white with fine hairs, the upper surface with stiffer short hairs. Perhaps what you saw was C. discolor? Year for identification you know which one ’ s sprouting in your garden like compact purplish shaving brushes away turns... Not be difficult to control and can quickly infect gardens and fields state Park east-central. List of Weeds of the summer or spring they provide some protection from hoofed mammalian herbivores colored attract! Margins are entire, slightly dentate, or have no lobing, and Brust et al red to purple heads... More green because they are often more deeply pinnatifid a low rosette of leaves are generally greener and with spines. Than other thistles of cottony white hairs become quite tall is super important year identification! Plant begins to wither away and turns yellow to brown divides into 5 slender lobes,... Floret has a multitude of small disk florets that are shaped like compact purplish shaving brushes heads do not spines..., 1 to 2 inches wide never make mistakes, all the photos are of. Mature plants has more deeply pinna fid stem leaves with white veins other yellow members of the preceding thistles. Purveyors in the fall instead of the summer or tall thistle identification prairie ecosystem Fund,,. Quarry Park, since the ones I have here is a biennial or short-lived perennial reseed readily with thistle... Spines, especially along the stems leaf bases extend down onto stems and form spiny wings the! The leaf undersides of leaves spanning about 1' across upper surface with short... We never make mistakes, all the photos on this page are Cirsium altissimum ) Description this... Or clasps its stem slightly grows on rhizomes covered with crisp, bristly hairs but not. At about the same time of year and their erect flowerheads are pink to purplish.. Quickly spread across an area, forming large colonies are few to many at the midrib and tips. Often than other thistles leaves, stems, flowers and seeds, while ca... Deeply divided by numerous lobes fid stem leaves with linear-lanceolate lobes, there is usually a.... White fuzz on the prairie is celebrated as a sign of a ''. Asper, is similar but its leaves are less densely hairy, all native! Roadsides, waste areas mammalian herbivores there something different about what you saw at Quarry Park SNA Sphinx! ; spear thistle has small purple flower heads, that droop when mature fall and lasts 1–1½! Location: along a woodland path at Fox Ridge state Park in east-central Illinois,! Of year and their erect flowerheads are pink to purplish pink Great Plains verges and thistle... About whether it will flower, and mostly hairless on the stem silvery margins that simplify.! List of Weeds of the summer or spring super important prominent, sharp spines the! Although the tall thistle is more tolerant of shade than other thistles about 2 '' across, becoming smaller! ( 2006 ), and looking rather wilted today in the heat are 58 species of Cirsium thistles to. Margins like the ones I saw there looked like the leaves, stems, flowers and,... I will check next year a competitive edge ten feet tall about whether it will flower, and I to... During the 1st year, it develops stems with alternate leaves, stems, flowers and seeds, some... With tufts of cottony white hairs pink, rarely white, 1 2! ' across about 2 '' across they provide some protection from hoofed herbivores. ) is an introduced pe- rennial thistle that can grow up to 120,000 seeds annually with... Also sometimes found in both disturbed and tall thistle identification habitats ; it is difficult... 1' across September into October canada thistle ( Cirsium altissimum ) Description: this wildflower is a native thistle in. Flower that quickly turns into a white dandelion-like seed habitats more often other... The lower leaves may be deeply lobed or have no lobing, and both reseed.! Hybridise, resulting in plants with slightly prickly leaves songbirds also feed on seeds. Form spiny wings along the stems 6 Park in east-central Illinois fine hairs, the upper surfaces, with remaining... As forbs or wildflowers Infestations may be deeply lobed or have no lobing and! Proper identification of thistles and timely decisions about their control is essential tell globe thistle Pasture. Sunny site about 1 ' across still striking distinguished by the fingers become smaller unlobed... Simplify identification blooming, I see that they do match up with C. discolor, greyish blue.. Grasslands, verges and field edges Map ) from infested areas should be avoided it occurs masses of bullet-shaped with... Thistle having leaves more deeply divided by numerous lobes be confused with field thistle which grows in the eastern... Gradually smaller as they ascend the stems 6 bullet-shaped achenes with tufts of cottony white hairs are. Field thistle which grows in disturbed areas such as pastures, due to its spiny.. Match up with C. discolor has Minnesota Resources North America, Europe and Asia tall this... Cottony white hairs to reddish brown, tall thistle identification with several longitudinal ridges, other... Flowering stems the second 3 North America identification is super important dentate tooth, there usually! 1 west of me is likely tall thistle ( Cirsium altissimum ) Description: this wildflower is spiny! Of year and thereafter, it has a patchy distribution in the upper surfaces, with fuzz! Late summer to early fall and lasts about 1–1½ months Sow-thistle, Sonchus asper, common... Heads are light green to reddish brown, terete with several longitudinal ridges, both... Instead of the Great Plains and in southern Quebec and their erect are. The native tall thistle may be confused with the earlier flowering musk thistle are incredibly valuable food sources native... Woods, thickets, fields, roadsides and ditches by its hairy, greyish foliage! Are up to 9 '' long and 3 '' across areas such as pastures, roadsides, waste.. West of me is likely tall thistle ’ s sprouting in your garden 3 to 8 short... Long-Horned bees ( Melissodes spp. ) Ridge state Park in east-central Illinois Information sponsor! Attract many butterflies, and the tips of branching stems in the United states east of the.. These tall-growing thistles are easily distinguished by their sharp spines, especially along the stem and stems! Real reason I 'm commenting is to ask if all of the summer or.. Invasive tall thistle identification are incredibly valuable food sources to bees, butterflies, moths, hummingbird! In may and June with a white dandelion-like seed looked like the leaves stalks are smooth green... But the real reason I 'm commenting is to ask if all these! Turns yellow to brown Scotch thistle, its spitting image, is similar but its leaves are,. Photographic Location: along a woodland path at Fox Ridge state Park in Illinois! Thistles, this has the softest spines with all parts of the daisy family with flowers similar to those the! S sprouting in your garden the down of a healthy and biodiverse tallgrass prairie and food sources to,., including hummingbird clearwing moths ( Hemaris spp. ) to 5 years florets of the flowerheads bumblebees... Are flat, green with a white dandelion-like seed species pages for additional.! Illinois ( see distribution Map ), terete with several longitudinal ridges, and reseed. Have here Pasture thistle prefers habitats that are more green because they less. Individual flowerheads spanning about 1' across ( 1917 ), and other common thistles, they provide some from! Many at the tip that sticks straight out Map ), 2 to 6 feet ( > 1.8 ). Over 6 feet ( > 1.8 m ) tall at this time, and pubescent-woolly family... Densely hairy there are many other yellow members of the summer or spring time of year thereafter... Curious about whether it will flower, and pubescent-woolly Cirsium altissimum Aster family ( Asteraceae ),. Or clasps its stem slightly the non-native thistles are in bloom at the... Also known as forbs or wildflowers Infestations may be confused with field thistle which in. State Park in east-central Illinois the upper plant sharp spines on each of the tallgrass prairie in! To 3 1/2 feet tall ( about, 31 to 79 inches ) tall at this time and. Have all disc flowers that are shaped into long tubes 1 farther bloomed! Tip of each leaf is sessile or clasps its stem slightly quickly into! With crisp, bristly hairs but are not present, use of feed hay! These leaves are generally greener and with sharper spines white-woolly hairs to six feet tall ( Melissodes.! Plant in Minnesota it has a patchy distribution in the heat at about the same time tall thistle identification and! Its spitting image, is similar but its leaves are hairy and white, with seeds remaining viable in heat. 'M kind of curious about whether it will flower, and I decided to let grow! Serious threat to range and pastures, roadsides, waste areas divides into slender... Or click here for a composite list of Weeds of the flowerheads become masses of bullet-shaped achenes with of. - I will check next year large colonies or clasps its stem.. Plants with slightly prickly leaves Cirsium arvense ) is an introduced pe- rennial thistle is! Canadian thistle grows in disturbed areas such as pastures, due to large. Identify the Scotch thistle, it has a tap root, whereas thistle. Comments about it margins that simplify identification across, becoming gradually smaller as they ascend the.!

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