What is this weed?

[sunspot]

What the heck is this weed? I showed this picture to a couple of dozen people and everyone said they have seen it but no one knows the name of it.

I have a few hundred to kill this spring before the seedhead opens.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

looks like one of the invasive thistles - like Russian or Canadian - but I'm not certain which species. Dig one up and take it to your county extension office to see what they suggest using on them? (and wear heavy gloves - the spikes on the edges of the leaves are vicious!)

 

[daBear]

I am next door in Mississippi and we have these all over the place. All I ever called them is thistle. Roundup or 2-4-D kills them nicely and they will not come back if you just take a hoe and chop it off at the root. When the grow and bloom there are thousands of seeds that float in the air and go everywhere so you don't want to let that happen. Farmers hate this weed growing in their pastures because it makes the cows milk sour.

 

[Podunkadunk]

It's called a Bull Thistle and they are a Royal PITA! I've got them all over the place around here. I hit them with straight roundup this time of year to kill 'em.

I couldn't find any pics of a younger plant (as you posted), if you let it grow a little , it'll become this:

bull thistle

Podunk

 

[studor]

Pretty sure it is Canadian Thistle (which was actually introduced from Europe) Once it gets established it develops a tremendous root system that will keep on delivering new plants. Roundup or 2-4-d works -- chopping them off at the roots will slow the spread but not kill them unless you plant something that grows faster than they do and shades them. Google "Canadian Thistle control" for a more complete story. Just about all thistles are controlled the same way so whatever name you give it the remedy will probably be about the same

 

[MossRoad]

BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Scotland grasps smoking thistle

 

[jimmyj]

We call them Scotch thistles up here. As the rest of the guys say, they're easy to kill. NOTE: A lot of birds love the seeds, finches in particular.

 

[studor]

We call them Scotch thistles up here. As the rest of the guys say, they're easy to kill. NOTE: A lot of birds love the seeds, finches in particular.

Jimmy -- I always called them that too until I went through an old government weed publication that identifies the Scottish thistle as being smaller and easier to kill (go figure ). Either way they are both considered a noxious weed in Ontario and legally you are obligated to remove them in agricultural areas according to the noxious weeds act of Ontario (still on the books). (I have one area that I leave them in for the hummingbirds -- guess I better watch out for the weed police.)

 

[zzvyb6]

Seeds of this weed are a common ingredient of bird feed that many people put out in their backyard feeders. I quit using the cheap stuff and switched to sunflower seed. No more thistle.

 

[WarrenF]

Seeds of this weed are a common ingredient of bird feed that many people put out in their backyard feeders. I quit using the cheap stuff and switched to sunflower seed. No more thistle.

I could be wrong.....but I believe that a noxious weed, that's seed is incorporated into bird seed, by law must be sterile. One other thing, niger thistle seed is different than the thistle that is being discussed.

 

[jimmyj]

I think WarrenF is probably on the money about the birdseed. Niger seed was called "thistle" in slang for many years. That does not explain the stoppage in thistle growth since xxbyv6 changed products though so who knows.

 

[Sackett2]

Seeds of this weed are a common ingredient of bird feed that many people put out in their backyard feeders. I quit using the cheap stuff and switched to sunflower seed. No more thistle.

The thistle seed sold in the bird food is said to be sterile. We have used many large bags of thistle feed and have had no thistles anywhere near the feeders. there are thistles in the area, but none around the feeders.

 

[jimmyj]

I know they fumigate the heck out of it because it is imported (usually from Africa or India) but I don't think it is sterile.

In any case, the weed is a Canada thistle for sure, I looked it up.

Happy weeding!