musk thistle

Plants: Forbs/Herbs
Magnoliopsida > Asterales > Asteraceae > Carduus nutans L.
Synonym(s): nodding plumeless thistle, nodding thistle, bristle thistle
Musk thistle is an herbaceous, biennial plant that grows to 6 ft. (1.8 m) tall. It has become a serious invader of open lands throughout the continental United States. It can be recognized by its showy, red-purple flowers and very spiny stem and leaves. Flowering occurs from June to September. The large, disk-shaped, terminal flower heads droop when mature. Musk thistle invades a variety of disturbed areas. Pastures are particularly at risk because musk thistle is unpalatable to livestock. Once established it can spread rapidly due to high seed production (as much as 120,000 seed per plant). Musk thistle is native to Western Europe and was accidentally introduced into the United States in the early 1900s.

131 records

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Image Descriptor Description Photographer
5358596 Biological Control

Field collection of musk thistle plants (Carduus nutans) harboring the biological control weevil, Trichosirocalus horridus.

L.L. Berry
5358597 Control

Landscape view of rangeland near Collbran, Colorado, three years after efforts to eradicate musk thistle.

L.L. Berry
5306090 Diagram or Graphic Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 3: 554. USDA PLANTS Database
5358658 Feature(s)

Close-up view of the stems of musk thistle (Carduus nutans) showing spiny flanges, with a flower bud in the background.

L.L. Berry
1358309 Feature(s) Stem and foliage Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1358310 Flower(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1358311 Flower(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1358312 Flower(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1358313 Flower(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1358314 Flower(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1382011 Flower(s) Ricky Layson
1382012 Flower(s) Ricky Layson
1382013 Flower(s) Ricky Layson
1299082 Flower(s) John D. Byrd
1299148 Flower(s) Steve Dewey
0001059 Flower(s) James R. Allison
0024036 Flower(s) Norman E. Rees
0580016 Flower(s) in bloom Loke T. Kok
1148159 Flower(s) USDA APHIS PPQ Archive
1334026 Flower(s) Ready to set seed. Montana Wendy VanDyk Evans
1391205 Flower(s) John D. Byrd
1459766 Flower(s) Steve Dewey
1459769 Flower(s) Utah State University Archive
1459771 Flower(s) Steve Dewey
1459773 Flower(s) Steve Dewey
1459778 Flower(s) On right; with bull thistle on left Steve Dewey
1539017 Flower(s) James H. Miller
1542402 Flower(s) Joy Viola
1553271 Flower(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1459776 Flower(s) Steve Dewey
1624058 Flower(s) Steve Dewey
2128097 Flower(s) Chris Evans
2128098 Flower(s) Chris Evans
2128095 Flower(s) Chris Evans
5360186 Flower(s)

Musk thistle (Carduus nutans) flower head, in bloom.

K. George Beck
5229043 Flower(s) Richard Old
5229044 Flower(s) Richard Old
5229045 Flower(s) Richard Old
5356228 Flower(s)

visited by a variety of insects

Terry L Spivey
5356229 Flower(s)

visited by an insect

Terry L Spivey
5366299 Flower(s) K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5366300 Flower(s) K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5366301 Flower(s) K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5370303 Flower(s) Rebekah D. Wallace
5370304 Flower(s) Rebekah D. Wallace
5370306 Flower(s) Rebekah D. Wallace
5374310 Flower(s) Joseph M. DiTomaso
5391993 Flower(s)

Young flowerhead

John M. Randall
5391994 Flower(s)

Flowerhead I

John M. Randall
5379582 Flower(s)

June

James H. Miller
5391997 Flower(s)

Flowerhead

John M. Randall
5374311 Foliage

basal rosette

Joseph M. DiTomaso
5366293 Foliage K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5366294 Foliage K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5366295 Foliage K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5366296 Foliage

rosette

K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5366297 Foliage

rosette

K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5366298 Foliage

rosettes

K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5229042 Foliage Richard Old
5139001 Foliage Lynn Sosnoskie
1459779 Foliage Steve Dewey
1459774 Foliage Steve Dewey
1391206 Foliage John D. Byrd
0580013 Foliage

basal rosette

Loke T. Kok
1560074 Fruit(s) Ken Chamberlain
1459767 Infestation Steve Dewey
1459768 Infestation Steve Dewey
1459772 Infestation Steve Dewey
1299211 Infestation Vince Belleci
1299216 Infestation growing along crop field Vince Belleci
1384001 Infestation A pile of fill dirt left over winter. The following spring, the pile was covered in musk thistles. Kris Johnson
0026009 Infestation Norman E. Rees
0026010 Infestation Norman E. Rees
0026011 Infestation Norman E. Rees
0026012 Infestation Norman E. Rees
0026013 Infestation Norman E. Rees
0025027 Infestation Norman E. Rees
0024050 Infestation Norman E. Rees
0024051 Infestation Norman E. Rees
0024053 Infestation Norman E. Rees
0024054 Infestation in pasture Norman E. Rees
0024055 Infestation over grazed pasture with excessive plants Norman E. Rees
1374621 Infestation Plants in fall Terry Spivey
5366291 Infestation

in flower

K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5366292 Infestation

in flower

K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5374308 Infestation Joseph M. DiTomaso
5391998 Infestation John M. Randall
5391999 Infestation John M. Randall
4064026 Habersham Co., GA James R. Allison
4064027 Habersham Co., GA James R. Allison
5138100 Plant(s) Lynn Sosnoskie
5139002 Plant(s) Lynn Sosnoskie
2128096 Plant(s) Chris Evans
2128094 Plant(s) Chris Evans
1459777 Plant(s) Steve Dewey
1459775 Plant(s) Steve Dewey
1459780 Plant(s) Rosette Steve Dewey
1459781 Plant(s) Steve Dewey
1459782 Plant(s) Steve Dewey
1539015 Plant(s) James H. Miller
1539016 Plant(s) James H. Miller
1459770 Plant(s) Steve Dewey
1459765 Plant(s) Steve Dewey
1358308 Plant(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
0025033 Plant(s) in full bloom Norman E. Rees
0024037 Plant(s) Norman E. Rees
1237108 Plant(s) Dan Tenaglia
1237110 Plant(s) upper stem Dan Tenaglia
1237112 Plant(s) lower stem Dan Tenaglia
1358315 Plant(s) Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte
1299210 Plant(s) Vince Belleci
0001058 Plant(s) James R. Allison
1299132 Plant(s) Randy Westbrooks
5391995 Plant(s)

Mature plant

John M. Randall
5391996 Plant(s)

Mature plant

John M. Randall
5366290 Plant(s)

flower buds

K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5374309 Plant(s)

in flower

Joseph M. DiTomaso
5358655 Plant(s)

Musk thistle plants (Carduus nutans) growing along a fence.

L.L. Berry
5358656 Plant(s)

Second-year rosette of musk thistle (Carduus nutans).

L.L. Berry
5360188 Plant(s)

Musk Thistle flowering stages

 

K. George Beck
5360190 Plant(s)

Musk Thistle 2nd-year rosette

K. George Beck
5364521 Plant(s)

Rosettes of musk thistle (Carduus nutans).

Howard F. Schwartz
5364567 Plant(s)

Rosettes of musk thistle (Carduus nutans).

Howard F. Schwartz
5370305 Root(s) Rebekah D. Wallace
0024067 Seed(s) from a single seed head Norman E. Rees
0025022 Seed(s) Norman E. Rees
5374312 Seedling(s) Joseph M. DiTomaso
5364568 Seedling(s)

Seedlings of musk thistle (Carduus nutans).

Howard F. Schwartz
5360189 Seedling(s)

Musk Thistle1st-year rosette

K. George Beck
5358657 Seedling(s)

Musk thistle (Carduus nutans) seedlings, with a ruler to show size.

L.L. Berry
5379583 Stem(s)

June

James H. Miller


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