Musk Thistle (Carduus nutans)

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  • A biennial thistle that sprouts from seed only
  • Grows to seven feet tall
  • Produces a single, large purple flower at the end of a bent, naked stem
  • Leaves have spiny margins

Flower
(click for larger view)

Plant
  • Stems are spiny and winged
  • Grows in varied locations, from vacant fields to roadsides to forest and rangelands
  • Dig, removing the top two inches of root prior to seed set
  • Chemical controls are available
    • Please click on any picture for a larger view.
    Leaf


    Sue Donaldson
    University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
    5305 Mill St. Reno, NV 89502
    (775) 784-4848  Email: sue@washoeweeds.org

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