Neighbor's thistles

20 years ago

Here's one I'm really bummed about.... I had noticed a few thistles growing where my back yard meets my neighbors and had pulled them as I noticed them. Last night, my husband happened to look out over the neighbor's yard and spotted a huge patch of the things. It must be in the area of 6 feet wide and 25 feet long and solid thistles. I've been searching online for half an hour and can't seem to identify them. They appear to be 1-2 feet tall. They have a small yellow blossum. They have kind oval leaves that are broader out toward the end then they are where they meat the stem, almost paddle shapped being very narrow at the stem end. They are hairless and have kind of 'soft' prickles along the edges of the leaves.

I tried to get a little scientific by searching online, and here are terms that apply to the leaves of this thistle, alternate, spatulate, serrate. The leaves are not perfoliate, although they almost appear to grow completely around the stem they actually do not.

I thought at first they might be perennial sowthistle, but after I found some closeups of the sowthistle leaves I saw they are entirely different.

I'm not sure what to do about this. I hate to go to the neighbor and mention them, but they are going to be all over the neighborhood if someone doesn't. I'd even be willing to go dig them, or spray them, or even pay a professional to do so.

I actually thought I'd find them on the MN list of noxious or secondary noxious weeds, but they are not there that I can find.

Hmmm... maybe they are not thistles at all, but more of a thistle look alike. I suspect they grew from a cheap birdseed mix that may have been spilled. They did have some feeders that blew over during winter or early spring.

Anyone have any idea what these could be?

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Comments (3)

dentaybow
20 years ago
I would suggest you call your county weed inspector and ask for assistance in identifying the plant and addressing the problem. (Every county in MN is mandated by law to have a weed inspector.) Chances are this plant is not on the Minnesota State list of noxious weeds, but it is possible it may be listed as noxious in your particular county.

The fact that it blooms yellow eliminates it as one of the true thistles that are considered noxious. Sounds like it may be one of the members of the genus Sonchus (Sow thistle) .....although there certainly are other possibilities. If it is a Sonchus, either perennial or annual, you are correct in your concern that such a large patch will vigorously invade' surrounding areas.... primarily by seed dispersal.

Keep us posted on its ID and the results should you proceed with talking with your county's weed control program.
Jan
doucanoe
20 years ago
Could this be what you have? I think Springhill Nursery sells these as "Lemon Fluff" or some such name.

Linda

Here is a link that might be useful: Lemon Fluff Centaurea
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carmellia
20 years ago
THIS IS NOT A THISTLE. I know the blossom looks just like a thistle, but it is a Knapweed (also called Armenian Basket Flower, or just plain Basket Flower). While they do seed themselves in, they are not a troublesome plant like a thistle can be. For one thing, they are not thorny, and they dont seem to travel from the root at all. When the yellow blossom disappears, what is left on the stem looks just like a little bird nest or basket - great in dried arrangements. My sister got one at the St. Cloud exchange a few years ago and by last year she had enough to share with me. I crowded mine too much between tall hosta so it has not bushed out the way her's has, but still it is beautiful. Those yellow flowers are so clear and vibrant. Bees and butterflies love them.

I don't think you will have to anything more than mow them off if they come over into your yard. They don't seem to creep by the root. They stay in a very tight bush formation. They multipy by re-seeding. I don't think you will find them to be a problem. Carmellia