spear thistle

Cirsium vulgare

Bull Thistle 2

Bull thistle competes with and displaces native species, including forage species favored by native deer and elk. In addition to outcompeting native plant species for water, nutrients, and space, bull thistle in hay reduces its value as horses and cattle don’t like to eat it.

Control it 2

Use heavy leather gloves to protect your hands. Bull thistle can be mowed or hand cut and pulled. Cutting it close to the ground usually kills it, but it is resilient and may resprout. Keep checking for new plants. Remove all cut plants as the seeds can still mature and spread.
It can also be sprayed with 2,4, D and dicamba to kill it. Check for details for correct application.

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Christine Heinrichs, all rights reserved, uploaded by Christine Heinrichs
  2. (c) Christine Heinrichs, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNat Map