thistle identification key

Bull thistle, also known as Cirsium vulgare, is a biennial thistle. Fall, specifically October and early November, is a key time to chemically control thistles in pastures. Bull thistle reaches a height of from 2 to 6 feet. There are 58 species of Cirsium thistles native to North America. Similar species: Bull thistle has deeply lobed leaves and prominent spines on the lobes. Field Thistle most closely resembles Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum), which also has soft needle-like spines on the floral bracts, hairy stems and white on the underside of leaves. Canada thistle has been on the Noxious Weed List since 1873. Disk flower—A tubular flower. Measure whether bracts collectively are greater than or less than 0.8 inches high, referring to the white bracket in Figure 2 … It is found from Maine south to Georgia and west to the Dakotas and Texas (but not Oklahoma). The leaves are long and large (up to 18 inches in length), and they are bluish-grayish green in color and covered with fine hairs. Milk thistle seeds are medicinal and often used in tea to help with liver and kidney ailments. Auricles of stem-leaves rounded. Field thistle has leaves white underneath. Scotch thistle can grow to a height of from 3 to 9 feet. Weed Key. Greater globe-thistle is introduced from Eurasia. Identify the weed! bull thistle), or more broad and triangular (e.g. The prickly sow-thistle, Sonchus asper, is similar but its leaves are generally greener and with sharper spines. Canada thistle is a perennial weed that has soft green, deeply lobed, spear-like leaves and these leaves have sharp barbs on them. I hope you will tag along with me as I decorate our home one project at a time. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! The use of a range of tools such as the maintenance of a strong perennial pasture, strategic herbicide application, chipping by hand and use of biological control agents where appropriate is the best strategy for long term control. It is easier to identify the weed to the weed family and narrow the choices. Glabrous—Smooth; without hairs. Finches, small mammals and insects eat the seeds. Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is an introduced pe-rennial thistle that is widely distributed in Nebraska and other northern states. Identify the musk thistle (Carduus nutans), which is commonly found invading pastures, fields and meadows, by its hairless, spiny and alternately arranged leaves that have spiky and silvery edges. Russian thistle tumbleweed 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. A major identifiable characteristic of musk thistle is that the outer edge of the leaf is silver in color, while the interior of the leaf is light green. Base of flower heads is flatter than bull or Canada thistle. Not Your Average Thistle The key to Canada thistle's weediness is its root system. Includes both broadleaf and grass seedlings. Auricle—A small, ear-shaped lobe or appendage. Pull weeds when the soil is moist. Base of flower heads is flatter than bull or Canada thistle. The shape of an individual thistle bract, e.g. This is an ideal time to control biennial and perennial thistles. Cirsium arvense, or Canada thistle, is a perennial that can spread rapidly through its horizontal roots and by seeding. Canada thistle identification and control Cirsium arvense Canada thistle has small purple flower heads found in clusters, and the bracts beneath the flower heads do not have spines. You may need to use technical descriptions in other floras to identify a species. A Wild Flower Identification Guide (ID Guide) for UK flowers indexed by colour, flowering month, number of petals, habitat, family and a fully cross-referenced contents list. Weed identification books are helpful but there are so many choices that selecting the proper weed may be difficult. It is scattered throughout California to about 5900 feet (1800 m). Few hairs on leaves. You will also find 1/8- to 3/8-inch spines on the tips of the leaves. Canada thistle identification and control Cirsium arvense Canada thistle has small purple flower heads found in clusters, and the bracts beneath the flower heads do not have spines. Lobes on leaves are tipped with stout spines. It produces yellow flowers with red veins borne in spiny heads. … Key to weeds in turf Canada thistle, a perennial broadleaf plant, is found in most of the western states except for southern Sierra Nevada, the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, and the Channel Islands. Weed image search tool: From the Strand Memorial Herbarium. In other cases, the flowers are unremarkable, making the general shape or habit of the plant the best clue to identification. Once a pasture is infested, the livestock carrying capacity for that area is significantly decreased. 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. Biology and Control. Photo by David D. Taylor. The identification tool is intended to help hobbiests identify wildflowers based on easily observable characteristics. Leaves can be hairy or woolly, second year stems topped with old style shaving brush shaped flowers like you would see in old western movies barbershops scenes. If allowed to go to flower, the flower is a purple pom-pom shape that will be produced in clusters at the top of the plant. There are many other yellow members of the daisy family with flowers similar to … Several cultivars exist. This thistle is 80 to 200 centimeters (about, 31 to 79 inches) tall. I once joked with my husband that the best thing about our Canada thistles is that they weren’t bull thistles. Flowers of the distaff thistle are oblong, yellow in color, and flowering occurs from May through June. Photo by David D. Taylor. Thistles can be found growing in many locations--lawns, garden beds, along the roadside, and in pastures and fields. Thistle.co has 96 employees . The purpose of this guide is to Blackman & Eastop list about 55 species of aphids as feeding on Cirsium species worldwide, and provides formal identification keys for aphids on Cirsium. It is among the most vigourously growing and tallest thistles in BC. The tip of each of the lobes of the bull thistle has a long, yellow spine. Digging and cultivating brings weed seeds to the surface and when exposed to light they will germinate. Landowners and homeowners realize this plant was a serious problem and needed to be controlled. Plant at edge of redcedar thicket. Some authorities believe that populations of Clammy Sow-thistle ( Sochus tenerrimus ) found in Australia are actually one of these forms of Common Sow-thistle.Common Sow-thistle belongs to a group of mainly yellow-flowered daisies in the Tribe Lactuceae . In older manuals and guides, this family is called the Compositae because the 'flowers' are a composite of many flowers, often of different types. Bull thistle has dark green leaves with deep lobes; the upper side of the leaves have coarse hairs, while the underside has soft white hairs. About 200 species are known worldwide from North America, Europe and Asia. Most weed books have weeds arranged according to their family. Canada thistle spreads by seed and an extensive root system. ID guidance. For more information, see Noxious Weed Lists and Laws or visit the website of the Washington State Noxious Weed Contro… Scotch Thistle Scotch thistle is the only member of this genus in BC. It is also known as Onopordum acanthium and can be either and annual or a biennial plant. Biology and Control. See the identification key (Table 1) if you are interested in identifying a particular species. This species is a serious threat to range and pastures, due to its spiny nature. To identify the weed to the weed to the surface and when exposed to light they will germinate generally and! ) - but check the pappus hairs most distinctive characteristics musk thistle identification and management abitats... High before flowering guide to identify seedlings using plant characteristics moved here I found a seemingly huge number butterflies. The ends of the stems serious problem and needed to be 10 feet in a season grow. 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