Bristling Thistles

Along the same walking path where I first began contemplating invasive plants, there is a thriving thistle population. Many varieties of thistles are also invaders in this area, and are notorious for spreading quickly in disturbed areas and in suburban lawns and flower beds. They are, however, also often attractive (once you get past the spines!), with interesting blossoms. At least one nation (Scotland) has made the thistle its symbol, so they are not universally considered lawn pests!

Bull Thistle

The first photo shown is a Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare). Bull thistles can be quite tall...this bloom was right at eye level. Bumblebees love bull thistles; one flew away from this one just before I took this photo.

Nodding Thistle

The Nodding Thistle (Carduus nutans) is well named, as is shown in this photo. I watched this bloom for several days as it opened, from the time it was a barely-opened, dark rose bud. My favorite of the thistles along the path, the nodding thistle has a spine-free stem leading to the blossom. And, as with other thistles, bees love the blossoms.

Canada Thistle

Considered a pest plant in central Ohio, these thistles grow in large, fast-spreading clumps. It is believed that Canada thistles (Cirsius arvense) may have been spread in animal feed. However they arrived here, they are now common, found in large unattractive bunches in fields and waste areas. The blossoms of the Canada thistle are small (these were about a half inch in diameter) and appear in bunches, unlike the large single blossoms of the bull and nodding thistles.

Next time you spend an afternoon attempting to remove the tap root of that thistle that's taken up residence in your daylily bed, consider the toughness and resilience of its species. If that stubborn, spiny (dare we say it) weed were elsewhere, it could grow into a blossoming plant beloved of Scots and bees. How can it be all bad?