 Appearance:
Biennial forb, between 1 1/2-6' tall, multi-branched stem. Plants
overwinter in the rosette stage. Leaves:
Alternate, coarsely lobed, dark green with light-green midrib, smooth
and hairless. Large first year rosette leaves. Flower:
Disk-shaped flowerheads contain hundreds of tiny individual purple
flowers which bloom from June to August. Flowerheads droop to a 90-degree
angle from the stem when mature. Seed:
10,000 straw-colored seeds with plume-like bristles. Seeds remain
viable in the soil for over 10 years.
Root: Each plant has a fibrous taproot. |
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It generally does not
pose a great threat to high quality areas. It colonizes primarily
in disturbed areas. Musk thistle is unpalatable and therefore invites
selective grazing on native grasslands, giving the thistle a competitive
edge. It grows best in disturbed areas such as pastures, roadsides,
and ditchbanks, but also in hayfields and disturbed prairies. A native
of western Europe, it was introduced to the U.S. in the early 1800's
and is declared a rangeland pest.
Legal Status:
This plant is a prohibited noxious weed in Minnesota and must be
controlled or eradicated as required by Minnesota Statutes, section
18.78.
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