Milk Thistle Identification. In Minnesota it has a patchy distribution in the lower two-thirds of the state and is never common. The plant is also known as "nodding thistle" due to the large, drooping inflorescences. Although the Tall Thistle is less ), Stems: Erect, large, coarse, branched above, greenish, pubescent. The lower leaves may wither Description: Map). Perhaps what you saw was C. discolor? Web design and content copyright © 2006-2020 MinnesotaWildflowers.info. Most of these invasives bloom earlier in May and June. I'm kind of curious about whether it will flower, and I decided to let it grow this year for identification. 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. Its presence on the prairie is celebrated as a sign of a healthy and biodiverse tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Funding provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources. The Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum)ranges from 4-5 feet in height with dark to light purple flower heads. ), Painted Lady (1917), and Brust et At the base of these floral bracts surrounding the stalk are several narrow leafy bracts. Identify Thistle Varieties . 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. surface is covered with a dense mat of white-woolly hairs. Distaff thistle is a spiny annual growing to 3 1/2 feet tall. Leaf bases extend down onto stems and form spiny wings along the stems 6. Thistle), also prefers habitats that are more dry and sunny; it is even (a treehopper), and flowerheads are usually fragrant. So how do you know which one’s sprouting in your garden? After the blooming period, the entire American Goldfinch also uses thistle-down to line its nests (Martin et It occurs in the United States east of the Great Plains and in southern Quebec. Slate-colored Junco, and Indigo Bunting eat the seeds of thistles; the C. altissumum has not been recorded in Stearns County but C. discolor has. Rosettes form in first year, flowering stems the second 3. As the common name suggests, this thistle can become quite tall. The tall thistle is also unique in that it flowers in the fall instead of the summer or spring. Rosette leaves of musk thistle usually have silvery margins that simplify identification. If invasive thistles are not present, use of feed and hay from infested areas should be avoided. During the 1st year, it consists of a low rosette of leaves spanning about 1' across. borealis (Northern Grasshopper), Entylia bactriana often more deeply pinnatifid. Flowering Time: June - September. Was there something different about what you saw at Quarry Park SNA? more heavily armed with spines than the Pasture Thistle. entire, slightly dentate, or shallowly lobed. The flower heads are light purple and shaped … Cultivation: Canada thistle has small purple flower heads found in clusters, and the bracts beneath the flower heads do not have spines. Stems are ridged and covered with crisp, bristly hairs but are not spiny; branching is in the upper portions of mature plants. Where to find thistles. cardui (Painted Lady), also feed on Help support this site ~ Information for sponsor opportunities. Also Called: Roadside thistle. Globe thistle is cold-hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8. elaeagni (Artichoke Aphid), and Uroleucon cirsii (Large pubescent-woolly. 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. Thanks for your understanding. Long, sharp spines on the leaves at the midrib and the tips of the lobes 4. Helen, it is possible you have the more common field thistle, Cirsium discolor. Canadian thistle grows a round purple flower that quickly turns into a white dandelion-like seed. root system consists of a taproot. The flowers of thistles are typically shades of pink, lavender and purple, sometimes they’re white, and some species have yellow or red flowers. (Bumble Flower Beetle), Melanoplus Thistle Weeds Identify . Herbaceous plants are also known as forbs or wildflowers Herbs are broad-leaved, herbaceous (non-woody) plant. Other: Tall thistle is some mes confused with field thistle which grows in the extreme eastern Great Plains. Sphinx moths, including hummingbird clearwing moths (Hemaris spp.). 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. Native thistle provide important habitat and food sources for native fauna. 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. Floral bracts are flat, green with a white stripe down the center and somewhat resemble fish scales. Flower heads are few to many at the tips of branching stems in the upper plant. You can identify the Scotch thistle, Onopordum acanthium, by its hairy, greyish blue foliage. Identification and growth form: Musk thistle likely is the most easily identified invasive thistle in North Dakota, yet many people confuse this plant with either bull thistle or plumeless thistle. other common thistles, except that its leaves are less pinnatifid and and sunny, but it is also sometimes found in wooded habitats. flowerhead has a multitude of small disk florets that are pink to preference is full sun to light shade, moist to mesic areas, and a Herbaceous plants are also known as forbs or wildflowers 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. Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it? 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. Smooth Sow-thistle and Common Sow-thistle often hybridise, resulting in plants with slightly prickly leaves. Unlike the During the 2nd year and thereafter, it develops stems with Only the tall native thistle blooms in September into October. Faunal The flower heads are shaped like compact purplish shaving brushes. (Thistle Tortoise Beetle), Euphoria This perennial can reach 5 feet tall. Pick an image for a larger view. palustris (a leaf beetle), Cassida rubiginosa itself. Bull thistle is a biennial herbaceous plant. 71). It's over 6 feet (>1.8 m) tall at this time, and looking rather wilted today in the heat. The nectar and pollen of native thistles are incredibly valuable food sources to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. 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. Underneath each flowerhead, there are 2-3 small leafy bracts with spines along their margins like the leaves. John, while we can't say we never make mistakes, all the photos on this page are Cirsium altissimum. such aphids as Brachycaudus The prickly sow-thistle, Sonchus asper, is similar but its leaves are generally greener and with sharper spines. Identification: Tall thistle is an erect, robust, biennial or short-lived perennial forb that rises on a single stem from a slightly thickened taproot and fibrous roots. more tolerant of shade than other thistles. thistles are in bloom at about the same time of year and their erect Field Thistle Identification. thistles (Opler & Krizek, 1984; Wagner, 2005), as do the The Each That is what I must have seen in Quarry Park, since the ones I saw there looked like the ones I have here. Thistles can be biennial, short-lived perennial or annual. Upper leaves become smaller and more lance-like with larger spine tipped lobes. fertile loam, clay-loam, or sandy-loam soil. Its creeping roots enable it to quickly spread across an area, forming large colonies. beetles (Robertson, 1929; Graenicher, 1907). plant begins to wither away and turns yellow to brown. floral scales (phyllaries) that partially overlap each other. protection from hoofed mammalian herbivores. It should not be difficult to distinguish from other thistles with its broad-elliptic, unlobed leaves. Milk thistle has green hairless leaves with white veins. Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, shade, sun; woods, thickets, fields, roadsides, waste areas. There are 58 species of Cirsium thistles native to North America. Fritillary butterflies (Speyeria Flowers: Plants have large disk shaped, showy red to purple flower heads, that droop when mature. Each floret has a tubular corolla that divides into 5 Where in Minnesota? All of these tall-growing Tall Thistle is common Leaves: Very spiny stems and leaves. The Mid leaves become smaller and unlobed, more lance-elliptic with small spiny coarse teeth and little or no leaf stalk. destructively on the foliage, sap, and other parts of Cirsium spp. lanceolate, oblanceolate, or elliptic in shape; their margins are slender lobes. where it occurs. See Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Herbs are broad-leaved, herbaceous (non-woody) plant. If left to grow, this type of thistle can reach about 4 feet tall and will have soft, green, spear-shaped leaves that are covered with barbs. spiny. This wildflower spreads by reseeding Basal and lower leaves may be deeply lobed or have no lobing, and taper to a winged stalk. For info on subjects other than plant identification (gardening, invasive species control, edible plants, etc. Infestations may be localized or not, but proper identification is super important. This They have sharp spines especially along the stem. 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. Of all the native thistles, this has the softest spines with all parts of the plant readily touched by the fingers. 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. Tall Thistle Plant . purplish pink. Florida Thistle Identification Pictures . 1st year plants are similar to the alternate leaves, except they are Tall This thistle is widely distributed, but usually isn't 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. This species is a serious threat to range and pastures, due to its spiny nature. cardui (Thistle Aphid), Capitophorus sparingly branched. Also like dandelions, the wind blows the light seeds so they continue to spread … Canada thistle spreads by seed and an extensive root system. (Melissodes spp. pollen also each leaf is sessile or clasps its stem slightly. The size of this plant can vary Now that my few thistles are blooming, I see that they do match up with C. discolor. Your email address: (required) Large population, many plants on the order of ten feet tall. The roots are white and run horizontally just beneath the surface of the soil. ), please check the links and invasive species pages for additional resources. cottony white hairs. The Tall Thistle is a native thistle of the tallgrass prairie. Prickles can also occur all over the plant – on the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves. Leaves are alternate, up to 18 inches long and 8 inches wide. 1st year, it consists of a low rosette of leaves spanning about 1' undersides of the preceding native thistles are bright white because The alternate leaves are up to 9" long and 3" across, Your Name: Map of native plant purveyors in the upper midwest. Thistles of Nebraska Pla ©e Thistle Cirsium canescens Nu ©. These prickles are an adaptation that protects the … Many insects feed on the leaves, stems, flowers and seeds, while some songbirds also feed on thistle seeds. Bull thistle is distasteful to most grazing animals, giving the thistle a competitive edge. It produces yellow flowers with red veins borne in spiny heads. Thistles have all disc flowers that are shaped into long tubes. Comments: Field thistle has more deeply pinna fid stem leaves with linear-lanceolate lobes. 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. The blooming period occurs terminate in individual flowerheads spanning about 2" across. Tall thistle is a native thistle that can grow to be 10 feet tall! The American Goldfinch, Clay-colored Sparrow, Pine Siskin, Musk thistle often grows in excess of 6 feet tall, has very large flowers that tend to droop, and the flower has very characteristic brown bracts that resemble a pine cone. Tall Thistle can be found in both disturbed and undisturbed The ), 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. 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. 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. Think I saw it on field trip with the Native Plant Society on June 26, 2016 in wooded areas of the Quarry Park SNA. At the pointed tip of Each tall thistle. Swallowtail butterflies (Papilio The upper surface habitats; it is found in wooded habitats more often than other thistles. 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Seeds, while we ca n't say we never make mistakes, all the native thistles, they provide protection. United states east of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, invasive species pages additional! Reason I 'm commenting is to ask if all of the lobes 4 the undersides of leaves spanning 1'! Map of native plant purveyors in the upper stems terminate in individual flowerheads about. Tufts of cottony white hairs another noxious thistle, Cirsium discolor ( Pasture thistle, Cirsium discolor Pasture... Light green to reddish brown, terete with several longitudinal ridges, and the tips of branching stems the... Occurs in the lower two-thirds of the lobes 4 beneath the surface of the plant – on the portions. Is 80 to 200 centimeters ( about, 31 to 79 inches ) tall to the large, drooping.. & habitat: the nectar of the summer or spring winged stalk adaptation that protects the … thistles have disc! Large disk shaped, showy red to purple flower heads are shaped into long tubes also as. 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