I've always enjoyed these large horrible weeds. They grow prolifically in pastures and along the sides of the highways. When I was yound ...Read Moremy mom would stop and pick them when the plant was small and we would eat them like celery. I always thought that was neat. After I met my husband, he told me they used the flower heads to make the cotton like tops for blowguns. We had a couple pop up in the back yard next to our tomatos and when I seen all the bees going crazy over them I couldn't cut them down. The result is that I had a large tomato yield! As an added bonus I found out by accident that leaf footed bugs LOVE huge thistles! They compleatly ignored my tomatoes! Now I always grow them near my garden.
Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) | March 2012 | negative
This plant has grown well beyond the normal height/width...mine is 57 inches tall and has a span of just over 5 feet. Also, it is hardy t...Read Moreo zone 3 and is on the noxious weed list for 46 states. It is very prolific and can produce thousands of seeds. It is a food source for a number of birds, bees and butterflies.
Covington, LA (Zone 8b) | November 2010 | positive
From about late March the plant emerges with a broad crown of concentric prickly thorn tipped leaves. By May a thick stem 3/4" develops ...Read Morefrom one to two feet with a developing flower head. The entire plant cannot be handled without gloves; however, some locals in my area pick the stems and peal the outer portion, leaving a tender hollow mass which is boiled and served as a side vegetable. There is a window of about 2 - 3 weeks for this cultivation before the stem hardens. This plant is widely dispersed throughout the hay fields in my area and is regarded as a nuisance to the hay industry.
Purple Thistle grows as a perennial along roadsides and just about everywhere in early spring. I pot it up for bees, butterlies and/or b...Read Moreirds to enjoy; it is a plant to be admired, also. I have acidic sandy loam soil with much rainfall.
This Thistle is a biennial with a tall branching stem, large variable colored flower heads and very spiny, clasping leaves. The flower he...Read Moreads are surrounded by erect, narrow, spiny bract-like leaves. The leaves are 6-10 inches long, lanceolate in outline, pinnately lobed, stalkless and clasping the stem, with spiny margins and tips. It grows to between 1 and 5 feet tall. This is a frequent native weed of pinelands, disturbed areas, is often found along the edges of salt marshes and is typical in overgrazed pastures.
I've always enjoyed these large horrible weeds. They grow prolifically in pastures and along the sides of the highways. When I was yound ...Read More
This plant has grown well beyond the normal height/width...mine is 57 inches tall and has a span of just over 5 feet. Also, it is hardy t...Read More
This spiny thistle is has been growing in my backyard here in Spring, Texas. It grows rapidly, daily there is new growth to admire.
From about late March the plant emerges with a broad crown of concentric prickly thorn tipped leaves. By May a thick stem 3/4" develops ...Read More
Purple Thistle grows as a perennial along roadsides and just about everywhere in early spring. I pot it up for bees, butterlies and/or b...Read More
Yellow thistle is on the endangered species list in CT and NH.
This Thistle is a biennial with a tall branching stem, large variable colored flower heads and very spiny, clasping leaves. The flower he...Read More