You have to really love your rehabber to collect thistle seed. Flowers and fruit. Leaves are variable: best determined by clusters of smaller flowers and creeping root system (versus tap roots in natives). The pappus will bunch up as you rub and most of the seeds will fall out. Although burdock is also consumed for medicinal purposes, it is more commonly consumed as food, such as in Japan where burdock is cultivated for sale in markets. Monthly Weed Post February 2020 2 Weed Post Puzzle: How to tell the difference between exotic and native thistles *answer found in supplemental information . But thistle is an easy to identify genus and an easy to find plant. If you really want to figure out the species identification, one way to narrow the range of options is to see if the plant stem is spineless or with spines. The nectar and pollen of native thistles are incredibly valuable food sources to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. If not kept under control, thistle will quickly take over a landscape. Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/cirvul/all.html [2016, December 4]. … View our privacy policy. A bad weed of crop fields and rangeland farther north, it causes problems in Missouri, too. Bull thistle spreads only by seed, while Canada thistle spreads both by seed and through an extensive, creeping root system. Perennial sow-thistle is a perennial weed reproducing by seed and by buds on underground roots. Many folks can recognize the spiny thistle plants of summer field and roadside. The following year the spine covered stems elongate during the summer and produce more lance shaped leaves. This plant and the related entities and synonyms 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. If you find a stand of thistle in bloom, come back each day for a week and harvest the mature flower heads as they open. Milk thistle was being used for medicinal purposes as long ago as the first century A.D. In: Fire Effects Information System, Online]. Entering your postal code will help us provide news or event updates for your area. The root of bull thistle is edible cooked. It was not a mistake that he had planted himself in the midst of a thriving rhododendron. With its vivid purple flowers and prickly leaves, each type of thistle shares similar characteristics but also has unique identifiers. Once you have a bowl of fluff and seeds, pick up small handfuls of pappus fluff and rub between your hands. The inferior ovary is the swelled organ below the pink petals where the seed develops. Newly emerged leaves are egg-shaped and have spines along the edge. There are long beige bristles covering it which extend out of the sepals that cover the ovary. By entering your email, you consent to receive communications from Penn State Extension. Natives in Virginia typically do not have spines on the stem. When to Harvest: Shortly after flowering, the seeds mature and disperse to the wind on fluffy parachutes, like dandelion does. Zouhar, Kris 2001. But this native species—field thistle— really stands out as a very tall species, and towers over my head at about 8 feet. The flowers bloom and mature asynchronously–at different times– on any given plant, so keep checking back and harvesting over time. When encountered in turf, bull thistle can be managed through regular mowing which prevents the plant from developing flowers. Bull thistle rosette (left). Tall thistle is closely related to field thistle (C. discolor), and the two can hybridize where they grow near each other. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa, bull thistle is now widespread in the United States and Canada after being introduced as a contaminant in crop seeds. Most or all of the leaves of field thistle are deeply lobed. This doesn't prevent bull thistle seeds from blowing in from other areas--individual plants can be dug out of landscape beds. and Carduus spp. The foliage of bull thistle has stiff hairs on top and a woolly appearance on the bottom; while Canada thistle is smooth on top and either smooth or hairy on the underside. Citation: Guenther, K. (2017, January 12) Field thistle as wildlife food [Web log post.] Cirsium vulgare. (Accessed January 2016). The field thistle, #2 has thin out-turned needle-like … I often see one large flower; sometimes up to three (but once there were twenty on a single plant!). Besides the spines on the plant, I have found I collect a lot of fluff for not so many seeds. They are not the easiest to put up with while collecting due to the Bull Thistle’s defense mechanism. Pasture thistle (C. pumilum), unlike field thistle, doesn’t produce very many flowers. On smaller plants, the whole stem and branches are spiny-winged. And for goldfinch, well, it is one of their favorite foods. They can grow anywhere from 7.5 to 30 cm long. Martin, A.C., Zim, H.S., Nelson, A.L. The exact means of introduction are largely unknown, but it is speculated that they were brought over in farm seeds. It can be dried and stored for later use. Cloud, MN. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. Additionally, the flower heads and bracts of bull thistle gradually taper to a point when compared to those of musk thistle. Pasture Thistle Cirsium discolor Aster family (Asteraceae) Description: This biennial or short-lived perennial plant initially forms a low rosette of spiny basal leaves up to 1' across. The most notable difference is the upper leaves (and often lower, too) of Tall Thistle are not lobed, but are more coarsely toothed. (Unpublished Report) Richmond, Virginia: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage. In Virginia, there are many native thistle species, but as often is the case, the relative likelihood of encountering a non-native species is high. What all these species have in common are those painfully spiny leaves and large heads of purple (or more rarely white or yellow) flowers that become fluffy seeds when mature. Cirsium discolor, the field thistle, is a North American species of plants in the thistle tribe, within the sunflower family.It is native to thirty-three states in the United States as well four Canadian provinces. (1951). Red to purple, usually solitary flower heads consisting of only disk flowers are 1 to 2 inches wide and encircled by spine-tipped bracts. If viewed from the side it looks a little like a green pineapple (to me). Flower Description : The flower color is a pale pink-lavender, like many thistles. Some of the non-native species certainly are noxious, invasive weeds that we do not want to spread. The Bull Thistle can take over a field in a few short years. During the first growing season, the plant forms a rosette. Because control is not required in the county, it is on the list of Non-Regulated Noxious Weeds for King County. Bull thistle is usually a biennial, but sometimes an annual or monocarpic perennial. The white pappus “parachute”or “hair”, is about ¾ inch long (20+ mm). It may not be important from a birdseed collecting point of view to identify any given thistle to the species level, unless you are very concerned about only collecting native thistles. Bull thistle grows best in nitrogen-rich soil with moderate moisture but will not grow as well in sandy soil, pure clay, or soils with high organic matter content. Songbird Diet Index. Native thistle provide important habitat and food sources for native fauna. See All Pest, Disease and Weed Identification, See All Beer, Hard Cider, and Distilled Spirits, See All Community Planning and Engagement, Common Pokeweed Identification and Management. In this episode of the Northwest Forager we'll head out to the farm to forage flowers of the Bull Thistle aka Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare). Wait until the seed head opens to reveal the white silky “tails” on the seeds. seeds rank #41 on our Super Seeds list. Italian thistle Yellow starthistle Bull thistle (Blessed) milkthistle Scotch thistle Tocalote (Malta starthistle) Canada thistle All of these species are found at least one of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, or Tulare Counties. Most invasive thistles came from Europe in the 1600s. Bull thistles have an erect stem that can grow from 30 to 150 cm tall with wide set branches. Bull thistle can reach a height of 3 feet. Cut or break off the mature flower head and place in a brown paper sack.  Store inside so the flower heads will dry from any moisture and continue to ripen for a couple of more days or a week. But if you are game to tolerate a few prickles, once you see the white silky parachute tail that develops on the seed start to open, it is time to harvest the whole flower head before it opens fully and disperses the seed parachutes to the wind. Life was at stake. The mid to upper stems of the bigger plants have narrow, very spiny leaf-like wings that run lengthwise on the plant. American Wildlife and Plants: A Guide to Wildlife Food Habits. This thistle plant I’m testing is a bull thistle, and the spines are huge and rigid. Wildlife probably prefer native species: it would stand to reason. Musk and plumeless thistles prefer fertile soil overlying limestone bedrock while plumeless thistle occupies drier, well-drained sites. Field thistle is very similar to tall thistle (C. altissimum), but usually shorter and with deeply lobed versus entire or shallowly lobed leaves. Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) is a biennial that true to its name, has notable spines. Bull thistle has leaves green on both sides. Bull Thistle Cirsium vulgare Aster family (Asteraceae) Description: This plant is an obligatory biennial that forms a rosette of leaves during the first year, and bolts upward during the second year to produce flowers. A rather bland flavor, the root is best used mixed with other vegetables. (When we first moved here, the place was overrun with thistles. Townsend, J. F. (2015, April) Rare Plants Natural Heritage Technical Report 15-10. Copyrighted data used with permission. Nowadays, it's considered an invasive weed. If so, be aware that there are some species near you that may be threatened or endangered. Hopefully you will see the seed pull out with the pappus. fields, burned areas, and logged areas. USDA, NRCS. Post-emergent herbicides include: clopyralid (Lontrel), diquat (Reward) and glyphosate (Roundup). If you pull out the pappus and there is no seed attached, then you can break the flower head in half after removing all the fluff and see if you can scrape out the seed that might still be lodged in the ovary. Native Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum) Native Carolina Thistle (Cirsium carolinianum) Exotic invasive Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense) Perennial. Remember to always read the label for proper application sites and rates. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA. Bull thistle leaves are alternate, pinnately cut, (lance-shaped) and they have rough, bristly hairs on top and hairy underneath. 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. Wildflowers Of WisconsinWild… Why do we need this? As the stem gets thicker, the wings start drying and disappearing. The leaves that follow are longer with pronounced spiny lobes. Field thistle is uncommon in the Ozarks but scattered to common elsewhere in the state. National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, St. The risk of spreading non-native seeds into the larger ecosystem can be reduced if you clean the collected seed of its pappus “parachute” hairs. After dry, to clean the seed out of the flower head, hold the flower head (now brown, dried sepals) in one rubber-gloved hand (to avoid the prickles)and pinch the fluffy pappus (white feathery silky fluff)  with your other hand and pull it straight out  and place it in a large bowl. Spiny-winged, hairy stems elongate during the second year, often branched up to 7 feet tall. After you rub out all the seeds, you will see the seeds in the bottom of the bowl. The topmost leaves of the stem also curl upward and hug the ovary. There will not be as many as you hoped for. Cirsium arvense. It has a taste somewhat like a Jerusalem artichoke, but not as nice. Do you live in one of these Virginia counties? You want to peel away the stem's outer red-green layer. Given the opportunity, a bull thistle can grow to 5 feet tall, and send out multiple flower stalks. Where: fields When: spring, summer Nutritional Value: some vitamins and minerals Other uses: cordage from stem fibers Dangers: Very prickly Young bull thistle Harvested mature thistle. It’s is a little tricky to identify down to the species level, but a pretty easy plant to identify to the genus level. Leaves are 3 to 12 inches long, deeply lobed with coarse prickly hairs on the top and woolly hairs underneath. New York: Dover Publications. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. Midst of a thriving rhododendron each leaf lobe, courses, or events of to. Vulgare ) are available for nurseries hairs underneath to support pollinators such as.! 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