scotch thistle vs bull thistle

Open Fields and Waters land west of Ainsworth, Brown County. Those pink or purple flowered prickly plants in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) that tend to evoke feelings of antagonism and strong dislike. Acta Oecologica 24(2):77-86. In reality, native thistles are a group of wildflowers that are just as much a part of prairie ecosystems as more well-loved groups of wildflowers like coneflowers, penstemons, or prairie clovers. Common name(s): Bull thistle, spear thistle Scientific name: Cirsium vulgare Family: Sunflower or Aster family (Asteraceae) Reasons for concern: This aggressive and persistent species can quickly take over both disturbed and unattended areas, and outcompete native species, reducing plant diversity and wildlife habitat. bull thistle J. DiTomaso, bugwood.org Scotch thistle J. Randall, bugwood.org. Bull thistle is a Class C Noxious Weed in Washington, first listed in 1988. The leaf margins of a flowering bull thistle plant (a) are tipped with spines, and the stems have spiny wings. Because control is not required in the county, it is on the list of Non-Regulated Noxious Weeds for King County. As nouns the difference between thistle and burdock is that thistle is any of several perennial composite plants, especially of genera cirsium'', ''carduus'', ''cynara or , having prickly leaves and showy flower heads with prickly bracts while burdock is any of the species of biennial thistles in the genus arctium . Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) (Figure 2) has been present in Oklahoma for more than 40 years and occurs statewide. Nebraska Extension Acreage Team Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County Lincoln, NE 68528, Phone: (402) 441-7180 Email: [email protected]. It rarely reaches infestation levels that justify treatment, probably because the insects that feed on native Circium spp. This thistle plant I’m testing is a bull thistle, and the spines are huge and rigid. Exotic invasive Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) Long silky hairs on Silver Plume Silver Plume blooms in September Virtually no hairs on Johnson grass SF 2016 (Cirsium discolor) Native Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum) Native Carolina Thistle (Cirsium carolinianum) Exotic invasive Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense) Perennial. A) Bracts small and leaf-like, purple tipped, and collectively less than 0.8 inches high, unlike all other thistles except spiny plumeless (exotic, p. 8) and Wyoming thistle (native, p. 15); heads are 0.3-0.5 inches Scotch Thistle … Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Scotch thistle can be confused with bull thistle (Cirsium vulgaris), which is also sometimes called "Scotch thistle" and is much more common in western Washington. For example, non-native bull thistle and native tall thistle share over 80% of their herbivore community. Though bull thistle is difficult to contain, frequent mowing before it flowers can help keep it under control. Figure 2C. Flowers are larger than Canada thistle, developing to 1 inch tall and wide. Learn more at. Goldfinches are among the strictest vegetarians in the bird world, selecting an entirely vegetable diet and only inadvertently swallowing an occasional insect. Thistle Identification Telling thistle species apart can be difficult. We have 10 species of thistle in Nebraska, 5 native (tall, Platte, Flodman's, yellowspine, and wavyleaf) and 5 non-native (plumeless, musk, Canada, bull, and Scotch). UNL web framework and quality assurance provided by the, Visit the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Apply to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Give to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Nebraska Extension: Community Environment, http://www.livestockforlandscapes.com/about.htm, A thistle is the national emblem of Scotland. Biennial thistles, such as musk (Carduus nutans L.), plumeless (Carduus acanthoides L.) and bull thistle [Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Tenore], are not as difficult to control as the perennial thistle species, but spread rapidly and can become severe problems in some areas. Habitat. Small mammals such as thirteen-lined ground squirrels, mice, rabbits, and moles also feed on thistles. Biennial thistles spread only by seed (achenes) that are produced in great number by all the noxious species, ran… It was hiding in the dense growth at the edge of our orchard, with plenty of sun and little traffic. Most of the non-natives have hairless or sparsely haired leaves. The spread of non-native thistles presents environmental and agricultural problems that people expend great effort to address. It is used as medicine. 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. To the best of my knowledge, there are no fully reliable physical characteristics to distinguish all native thistles from non-native thistles, but in general, native thistles tend to be less spiny with the spines more localized on leaf margins. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and a GIS graduate certificate. ---Description---It is a biennial, flowering in late summer and autumn. Figure 2A. Prevalence and impact of the crown fly, Botanophila spinosa, on its host thistle, Onopordum acanthium, in southern France. Bull thistle leaves are alternate, pinnately cut, (lance-shaped) and they have rough, bristly hairs on top and hairy underneath. Some parts of this site work best with JavaScript enabled. Many insects feed on the leaves, stems, flowers and seeds, while some songbirds also feed on thistle seeds. Milk thistle was being used for medicinal purposes as long ago as the first century A.D. She also has some experience with habitat improvement projects. The Silybum marianum plant goes by many different names, including Scotch thistle, holy thistle, Mary thistle, variegated thistle, and milk thistle. In comparison, bull thistle has basal leaves and leaves that are smooth to sparsely woolly below; giving a green appearance. In the case of invasive non-native invasive thistles, the dislike makes sense. After earning her Bachelor’s Degree, she worked for the Forest Service in Arizona, Oregon State University and Boise State University’s Raptor Research Center conducting surveys for Mexican and Northern Spotted Owl, Northern Goshawk, Golden Eagle and other raptors. Legend has it that in the tenth century, the invading Danes gave themselves away by their screams when they tried to steal away barefoot through a dry moat full of thistles. Photos by Matt Lavin, MSU. Occasionally, in disturbed sites, native thistles such as Flodman's thistle, can form localized stands, but are less likely to expand than non-native thistles. The next time you jump on your ATV to address noxious and invasive vegetation on your property please give some thought to which thistle you target and which ones you leave. It wasn’t un l 1959 that the rapid infesta on rate of musk thistle brought out the public concern of thistles in Nebraska. Scotch thistle Pacific Northwest Extension Publication PNW 569. Coordinating Wildlife Biologist. Cattle can be trained to eat Canada thistle and other weeds. Scotch thistle has been found growing in a number of western Washington counties but the sites are generally small and isolated. Scotch thistle is found in any type of habitat but normally establishes quickly in disturbed areas dominated by annual plants such as cheatgrass. Onopordum acanthium. Bull, musk, plumeless, and Scotch thistle (left to right). Solutions are posted to the . Bull thistle thrives in sunny areas in a variety of soil types and conditions. The Scotch Thistle, or Cotton Thistle (Onopordon Acanthium) is one of the most beautiful of British plants, not uncommon in England, by roadsides and in waste places, particularly in chalky and sandy soils in the southern counties. It has spiny-winged stems, and its flowers are classic onion-shaped thistle flowers. 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. For more information, see Noxious Weed Lists and Laws or visit the website of the Washington State Noxious Weed Contro… Native thistles provide food for songbirds such as American goldfinch, indigo bunting, pine siskin, dark-eyed junco, several species of sparrow, and ruby-throated hummingbird. Erect foliage and flower stems are formed the second year. 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.Prickles can also occur all over the plant – on the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves. Weedy characteristics: Scotch thistle is highly competitive and aggressive, and forms dense colonies that can choke out native vegetation. One variety, the Scotch thistle, sports purple flowers and prickly leaves and has become the national emblem of Scotland. Public and private landowners are not required to control infestations of bull thistle that occur on their property in King County. Bull thistle gene… Musk thistle and bull thistle have been listed as noxious weeds only in … Prather. We have 10 species of thistle in Nebraska, 5 native (tall, Platte, Flodman's, yellowspine, and wavyleaf) and 5 non-native (plumeless, musk, Canada, bull, and Scotch). The Value of Native Thistles Native thistles provide highly valuable food resources for a wide variety of insects, including: honey bees, bumble bees, long horned bees, leafcutter bees, sweat bees, syrphid flies, butterflies, hawk moths, soldier beetles, leaf beetles, scarab beetles, and parasitoid wasps. Image from NEBRASKAland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. [Accessed Sep 10, 2014]. Scotch thistle differs from bull thistle as it has larger yet fewer flowerheads, lacks basal leaves and has dense woolly hairs on its leaves; giving it a silvery appearance. Our native thistles tend to get a bad reputation right along with the non-natives even though native thistles do not typically exhibit the same invasive, weedy tendencies. Custom programming and server maintenance by. It can also be found in over-grazed sites, roadsides, and riparian areas. Overview Information Scotch thistle is a plant. Many species of thistles have edible roots, inner stems, young leaves, young inner parts of flower buds and seeds. Medicinal tea thistle is a biennial, flowering in late summer and autumn in decline Nebraska Game and Parks...., roadsides, and its leaves are hairier than Italian or milk thistle was used by humans... Been prescribed for toothaches, as a restorative tonic, and do they both sting also an important for... Weeds in scotch thistle vs bull thistle Arizona and New Mexico as cheatgrass perennial forb with coarse, spiny leaves and a. 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