This looks to be a plant that says leave me alone. I labeled it FR 2012-5 but it will probably be a short Free Ride. The leaves and stem have sharp points that don't lend to handling it much if at all. Any Ideas? Thistle? ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden )
I have nice globe thistles that have friendly flowers and O.K. leaves but this plant is nasty, nasty, nasty. I will not let it go to seed but I might let it flower just to see the bloom out of curiosity. Jerry
Good morning, a good specimen of 'scotch thistle' which grows in pasture land here.Ours has a purple flower and inside the flower is a tasty nut which the kids eat.
I will take a picture when the flower blooms. Thanks for the ID......nut? edible? interesting, something to look forward to, I might even give it some water. Jerry
That makes it official, straight from the land of some of my ancestors, Eileen even admits it's one of hers. But try mailing it back......I am going to bag the flower after it blooms so the seeds don't spread. It is going to get large. I wonder how it got here.... Jerry
Not necessarily! We have them in Texas too. Common way to spread is in hay used to feed livestock. Some of the smaller finch type birds like the seed as well.
Some thistle spread by roots/rhizomes as well as seeds. Just an FYI. I've always like the looks of them in the fields, just not my garden.
I always get one or two, one kept coming back in an inconvenient place! It got me a few times, so I pulled it out and when it threatened to grow back I poured a kettle of boiling water on it! It surrendered.
