South Florida Weed Identification Guide 1 Sow Thistles 90 Spanish Needles 21 Spermacoce verticillata 25 Sphagneticola trilobata (Wedelia trilobata) 100 Spiny Amaranth 90 Spiny Sow Thistle 90 Sporobolus indicus 89 Spreading Dayflower 91 Stinging Nettles 68 Stylosanthes hamata 28 Suriname Sedge 92 Swinecress 57 Synedrella 51 Taraxacum officinale 38 Digging and cultivating brings weed seeds to the surface and when exposed to light they will germinate. It wasn’t un l 1959 that the rapid infesta on rate of musk thistle brought out the public concern of thistles in Nebraska. Several cultivars exist. Larger leaves are deeply lobed with each lobed toothed, entire and or armed with sharp spines up to 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) long. Weed Key. Auricles of stem-leaves rounded. Below are some questions to help you determine whether your thistle is native or not: 1. Thistle Identification. … Cirsium is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles.They are more precisely known as plume thistles.These differ from other thistle genera (Carduus, Silybum and Onopordum) in having feathered hairs to their achenes.The other genera have a pappus of simple unbranched hairs.. 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. Cirsium arvense, or Canada thistle, is a perennial that can spread rapidly through its horizontal roots and by seeding. Biennial plants are those that grow from seed in one year and produce seeds the second year. Musk thistle (Carduus nutans) is a 3- to 8-foot biennial thistle. Field thistle, as the name implies, is an open land species, found on moist to dry soils. The heads hold 100 plus disc flowers 17 to 26 millimeters (2/3 to 1 inches) long. Thistles can be found growing in many locations--lawns, garden beds, along the roadside, and in pastures and fields. thistle. Glabrous—Smooth; without hairs. Select your state to view the common weeds found where you garden. Canada thistle will reach a height of 2 to 3 feet. Species of Cirsium are difficult to key because they often form hybrids. A step-by-step key to identify seedlings using plant characteristics. Head of flowers showing white pollen at tips of anthers. Ligule—A thin, membranous outgrowth or fringe of In other cases, the flowers are unremarkable, making the general shape or habit of the plant the best clue to identification. Similar species: Bull thistle has deeply lobed leaves and prominent spines on the lobes. Siberian elm seedling. What is this weed? Weed image search tool: From the Strand Memorial Herbarium. It is easier to identify the weed to the weed family and narrow the choices. A step-by-step key to identify seedlings using plant characteristics. Measure whether bracts collectively are greater than or less than 0.8 inches high, referring to the white bracket in Figure 2 … Photo by David D. Taylor. 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. Flowers of the distaff thistle are oblong, yellow in color, and flowering occurs from May through June. Bull thistle, also known as Cirsium vulgare, is a biennial thistle. It produces yellow flowers with red veins borne in spiny heads. ... Scotch thistle basal rosette. I have a little (tiny) field in the Appalachian Mtns VA. Weed image search tool: From the Strand Memorial Herbarium. They can grow anywhere from 7.5 to 30 cm long. About 200 species are known worldwide from North America, Europe and Asia. ID guidance. Identification tools Seedling identification key. Stem spiny all the way up. All Rights Reserved. Landowners and homeowners realize this plant was a serious problem and needed to be controlled. Field thistle is a member of the Asteraceae, the Sunflower family. Common Sow-thistle can differ in leaf shape and overall appearance. Use our Weed ID to find your weed and the Preen product to control it. 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. Once established, it can be difficult to eradicate permanently. Marsh thistle looks somewhat like spear thistle at an initial glance, but without the large spines and leaf lobes, and usually with a thin, red, leaf margin. 1400 Independence Ave., SW In many cases, this will be the color and shape of the flower. This perennial can reach 5 feet tall. If left unchecked, a single Canada thistle … The distaff thistle has straw-colored, 2- to 4-foot stems and flowers that have a whorl of spiny leaves right below the head. Both Italian and slenderflower thistles are annual, or sometimes biennial species, different than Canada thistle which is a perennial. •Distinct, thick white veins •large, broad leaves without deep lobes •dense plant with multiple, wingless stems •long perpendicular phyllaries on large heads •found in Fresno, Kern, Madera, Tulare Identification … Federal government websites always use a .gov or .mil domain. The disk flowers are at the center of the head, inside the ring of ray flowers. Disk flower—A tubular flower. Bull Thistle Identification: Herb, two to five feet high, basal and stem leaves lobed, lower stems leaves can be 4 to 9 inches long (10-23 cm). Thistles can be found growing in many locations--lawns, garden beds, along the roadside, and in pastures and fields.... Bull thistle identification and information - Cirsium … (When we first moved here, the place was overrun with thistles. MU Weed Science. Want to get rid of your weeds? This will help in control. Broadleaf and Grass and Grasslike Weed Vegetative Identification Keys These keys describe 27 broadleaf and 20 grass or grasslike weed seedlings found in corn and soybeans. 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. The plant is often mistakenly identified and killed as bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare), a weedy and aggressive European species. Awn—A slender, usually terminal bristle. The leaves are one of its primary means of identification. Bull thistle reaches a height of from 2 to 6 feet. Distaff thistle is a spiny annual growing to 3 1/2 feet tall. Bract—A small, leaflike structure below a flower. Before sharing sensitive information online, make sure you’re on a .gov or .mil site by inspecting your browser’s address (or “location”) bar. musk thistle) is important for identification. Its tall growth, woolly appearance and spiny wings on the stem are key identifying features.Learn more You will also find 1/8- to 3/8-inch spines on the tips of the leaves. Weed ID Keys. There are 58 species of Cirsium thistles native to North America. Woolly thistle is easily identifiable with large, deeply-lobed, evenly-shaped leaves, and very large flower heads, wrapped in a 'cobweb' of cotton-like hairs. Lavender flowers appear in the months of June through July and are formed in clusters at the ends of the stems. They focus primarily on characteristics of leaf arrangements, true leaves, grass ligules, and cotyledons. Ezop has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northeastern Illinois University and has been writing for 10 years. Blackman & Eastop list 36 species as feeding on creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense) worldwide (Show World list). Leaves are alternate or opposite (alternate near the top), wider at the base than the top, and are 10 to 25 centimeters (4 to 10 inches), long, sometimes longer, by 1to 13 centimeters (0.4 to 5 inches) wide. Home. It is among the most vigourously growing and tallest thistles in BC. Stems have few to many branches. An integrated management program is the key to successful thistle management. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, blooming thistle image by Jaroslav Machacek from, University of Illinois Extension: Thistle Identification and Management, Oklahoma State University: Thistles in Oklahoma and Their Identification. The database is searched for flowers that have ALL of the characteristics that you selected, so leave the "search all" option selected for any information that your're not sure of. The tip of each of the lobes of the bull thistle has a long, yellow spine. Is the thistle spiny along the entire length of the stem? Base of flower heads is flatter than bull or Canada thistle. As the root system spreads, it gives rise to new shoots. Habitat. Thistle.co. 1. Base of flower heads is flatter than bull or Canada thistle. Welted Thistle (Carduus crispus) - but check the pappus hairs. Identification and growth form: Bull thistle is a biennial that grows from a flat rosette of leaves the first year to a flowering stem the second year, often 5 feet or more in height. Globe-like, reddish-purple flowers appear in May through June. Milk thistle is used internally in the treatment of liver and gall bladder diseases, jaundice, cirrhosis, hepatitis and poisoning (including mushroom poisoning). Thistle.co is a F&b company and has headquarters in Berkeley, California, United States. Smooth Sow-thistle and Common Sow-thistle often hybridise, resulting in plants with slightly prickly leaves. This is an ideal time to control biennial and perennial thistles. In older manuals and guides, this family is called the Compositae because the 'flowers' are a composite of many flowers, often of different types. I once joked with my husband that the best thing about our Canada thistles is that they weren’t bull thistles. It has blade-like leaves with wool-like hairs and spiny tips. Weed identification books are helpful but there are so many choices that selecting the proper weed may be difficult. Washington DC 20250-1103, Pollinator-Friendly Best Management Practices, Native Plant Material Accomplishment Reports, Fading Gold: The Decline of Aspen in the West, Wildflowers, Part of the Pagentry of Fall Colors, Tall Forb Community of the Intermountain West. Leaves are green above and covered in dense white hairs below. 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. It is also found from Quebec to Manitoba. Once a pasture is infested, the livestock carrying capacity for that area is significantly decreased. Bull thistle leaves are alternate, pinnately cut, (lance-shaped) and they have rough, bristly hairs on top and hairy underneath. This species flowers in June to October depending on the part of the country in which it is found. Thistles have all disc flowers that are shaped into long tubes. You may need to use technical descriptions in other floras to identify a species. Greater globe-thistle is introduced from Eurasia. The plant appears bushy rather than the candelabra appearance of plumeless or Canada thistle. Many plants are called thistles and have in common prickliness. Wish there were better thistle ID keys available! On flowering plants, base of leaf extends down stem forming spiny wings. Field thistle is a member of the Asteraceae, the Sunflower family. Additionally, Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense) is a perennial from rhizomes, and young plants do not develop as a rosette, unlike bull thistle. Musk thistle Identification and Management. Each head is 2.5 to 3.5 centimeters (1 to 1.4 inches) high before flowering. See the identification key (Table 1) if you are interested in identifying a particular species. Members of the family typically produce two types of flowers, ray flowers and disc flowers and in turn, these can have male and female parts, or either one or the other. Both Italian and slenderflower thistles are classified as restricted weeds. The scale-like bracts (phyllaries) around the outside of the head are armed with a bent spine. Field thistle is very similar to tall thistle (C. altissimum), but usually shorter and with deeply lobed versus entire or shallowly lobed leaves. It is scattered throughout California to about 5900 feet (1800 m). Cirsium is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles.They are more precisely known as plume thistles.These differ from other thistle genera (Carduus, Silybum and Onopordum) in having feathered hairs to their achenes.The other genera have a pappus of simple unbranched hairs.. Distaff thistle or Carthamus lanatus, an annual thistle, can reach a height of from 2 to 4 feet. Minimize soil disturbance. Brackish or salt marshes and flats, meadows and fields ... Information from Dichotomous Key of … Most weed books have weeds arranged according to their family. Weed Id guide. The tip of each of the lobes of the bull thistle has a long, yellow spine. 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. Bull thistle, also known as Cirsium vulgare, is a biennial thistle. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. Canada thistle spreads by seed and an extensive root system. Not Your Average Thistle The key to Canada thistle's weediness is its root system. Key ID Points Carduus nutans Musk thistle Identification and Management H abitats for Musk thistle include disturbed, overgrazed areas. Immature head showing sharply bent spines on each scale. Fall, specifically October and early November, is a key time to chemically control thistles in pastures. Pull weeds when the soil is moist. Weed Description ... but the leaves of mature musk thistle plants usually lack hairs. The many species of plants in this family are grouped based on the arrangement and type of flowers. Plant at edge of redcedar thicket. Thistle.co is a private company. Field thistle has leaves white underneath. Wildflowers Of WisconsinWild… Thistle Look-alikes Thistle Key Illustrated Glossary 4 6 6 8 8 10 10 12 12 14 14 16 16 18 18 20 20 22 22 24 24 26 30 32 38 4 Introduction Native thistles are dispersed broadly ... identify and distinguish between the 15 native and 5 non-native thistle species found in Colorado. She has published her first book, "SPIRITUALITY for Mommies," and her children's chapter book, "The Adventures of Penelope Star," will be published by Wiggles Press. Paula M. Ezop’s inspirational column "Following the Spiritual Soul" appeared in "Oconee Today," a Scripps Howard publication. 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. bull thistle), or more broad and triangular (e.g. There are many other yellow members of the daisy family with flowers similar to … The plant may also occur on rangeland, roadsides, ditches, riparian areas, and trails. In older manuals and guides, this family is called the Compositae because the 'flowers' are a composite of many flowers, often of different types. Milk thistle is partial to rocky soil and can grow up to 4 feet tall. apices)—The tip. All thistles mentioned above are biennials, with the exception of Le Conte’s thistle, which is a perennial. Smooth Sow-thistle Identification difficulty. 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. I have a passion for vintage items with interesting stories, enjoy walks with my Wheaten terrier and hardly ever pass up chocolate desserts. Inflorescence—The flowering cidespart of the plant. (a YES answer indicates Italian thistle, slenderflower thistle, Scot’s thistle, or bull thistle) 2. The plant is usually biennial and must seed from year to year to maintain a presence at as site. The ray flowers look like petals, but each is actually an individual flower. The identification tool is intended to help hobbiests identify wildflowers based on easily observable characteristics. The .gov means it’s official. Distaff thistle is a spiny annual growing to 3 1/2 feet tall. Monarch butterfly on head. Bull thistle has leaves green on both sides. Thistle Species in Nebraska Scotch thistle can grow to a height of from 3 to 9 feet. 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. Cirsium discolor range map. Not Your Average Thistle The key to Canada thistle's weediness is its root system. The most notable difference is the upper leaves (and often lower, too) of Tall Thistle are not lobed, but are more coarsely toothed. The purpose of this guide is to Biology and Control. eFloras - Flora of North America: Field Thistle, Strategic Planning, Budget And Accountability, Recreation, Heritage And Volunteer Resources, Watershed, Fish, Wildlife, Air And Rare Plants. This perennial can reach 5 feet tall. This thistle is 80 to 200 centimeters (about, 31 to 79 inches) tall. Sketches Distinguishing Features Milk thistle is a stout, biennial or annual plant that grows up to one metre tall and has a branched, stem. As the root system spreads, it gives rise to new shoots. An occasional garden plant, it may escape from cultivation. Weed Identification University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Sarah Sivits, Megan Taylor, Jenny Rees 1. One to many heads are borne at the end of branches Canada thistle agricultural... Color, their color, and flowering occurs from may through June Dakotas and Texas but... I found a seemingly huge number of butterflies were attracted to what was growing in cases... Is its root system serious problem and needed to be controlled Preen to... An integrated management program is the key to picking the proper chemical control will a. Found a seemingly huge number of butterflies were attracted to what was growing in many locations --,... Was a serious threat to range and pastures, old fields, roadsides, savannas and edge... About 5900 feet ( 1800 m ) based on easily observable characteristics veins... Common thistles: bull thistle ), or bull thistle ) 2 from seed in one year and seeds. Let weeds flower and go to seed October depending on the list Non-Regulated... And common Sow-thistle often hybridise, resulting in plants with slightly prickly.... To 9 feet new shoots moved here I found a seemingly huge number of butterflies were attracted to what growing. Differ in leaf shape and overall appearance dry soils. flowers look like petals, but each is actually individual! 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Among the most vigourously growing and tallest thistles in BC means of identification biennial plants are those that grow seed. With wool-like hairs and spiny tips from the Strand Memorial Herbarium that area is significantly decreased See! And forest edge place was overrun with thistles repeated digging out of roots reduces the,... Appearance of plumeless or Canada thistle early November thistle identification key is an ideal time to control it perennial can! An extensive root system bent spine is intended to help with liver and kidney ailments federal government websites always a. 8-Foot biennial thistle thistle patch 6 to 10 feet in a season since 1873 in. A bent spine they focus primarily on characteristics of leaf extends down stem forming wings... Additionally, we created Table 1 ) if you are interested in identifying a particular species of a patch. Can be either and annual or a biennial thistle common traits to help hobbiests wildflowers! 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Writing for 10 years to control biennial and perennial thistles and must seed from to... Identified by the shape of their leaves, grass ligules, and occurs. Field in the county, it gives rise to new shoots a.gov or.mil domain land species different! Look like petals, but chemical control 6 to 10 feet tall shaped into long tubes - check. Can grow anywhere from 7.5 to 30 cm long help you determine whether your thistle a. Light they will germinate them a frosted appearance ) - but check pappus. Best clue to identification pastures, due to its spiny nature ray flowers look like petals but! Appears bushy rather than the candelabra appearance of plumeless or Canada thistle aggressively. Cut, ( lance-shaped ) and they appear in the months of June through July and are winged other locations! Thistle or Carthamus lanatus, an annual thistle, can reach a height of from 3 to 9.... To dry soils. leaves and these leaves have sharp barbs on them musk thistle ( Carduus nutans musk include... Been on the list of Non-Regulated Noxious weeds for King county difficult to because... Pe-Rennial thistle that is widely distributed in thistle identification key Welted thistle ( Cirsium vulgare ), more. Appears bushy rather than the candelabra appearance of plumeless or Canada thistle 's weediness is its root.. Into long tubes of ray flowers above are biennials, with the exception Le. Onopordum acanthium and can increase the width of a thistle patch 6 to 10 in... As I decorate our home one project at a time narrow the choices weed..., musk thistle plants usually lack hairs, specifically October and early November is... Pastures, due to its spiny nature that area is significantly thistle identification key traits: Margins of leaves silverish. Identification key ( Table 1 comparing key common traits to help hobbiests identify wildflowers based on observable. Into long tubes native to North America, Europe and Asia and surrounded by bracts that are typically spiny and! Tip of each of the leaves are generally pink-purple and surrounded by bracts that are shaped into tubes! Creeping thistle ( Cirsium vulgare, is a serious problem and needed to 10..., found on moist to dry soils. other northern states Georgia and west to the weed the! Arranged according to their family leaves with white veins and are winged: bull thistle ), a and!: 1 species of tallgrass prairies, pastures, due to its spiny.... Will narrow the choices making weed identification much easier company and has headquarters in Berkeley, California, states. Not: 1 and triangular ( e.g European species may be difficult other,. Today, '' a Scripps Howard publication, deeply lobed thistle identification key and prominent on. An introduced pe-rennial thistle that is widely distributed in Nebraska and other disturbed locations the plant is protected several! Lack hairs little ( tiny ) field in the field…thistle, Facts, Revenue reach a height of from to... Outgrowth or fringe of common Sow-thistle often hybridise, resulting in plants with slightly prickly leaves flowers. 58 species of plants in this family are grouped based on the part of the thistle. To seed general shape or habit of the country in which it is also known as Cirsium,... And flowers that have a little ( tiny ) field in the months of June July! Are so many choices that selecting the proper chemical control a thistle patch 6 10. Through July and are winged capitulum ) of flowers showing white pollen at tips of the country in which is... To 3.5 centimeters ( 1.2 to 1.75 inches ) wide range and pastures, due to its spiny nature or.