Home Weed ID Publications Dictionary Links FAQs Login About us		Plant Description: Name: bull thistle Scientific Name: Cirsium vulgare Family: Asteraceae Type: Broadleaf Lifecycle: Biennial Habit: Bull thistle blooms from June to October. Bull thistle rosettes remain green and continue growing throughout the winter. Leaves: The rosette leaves ranging between 3 to 7 inches long. The upper portion of the leaf is dark green and covered with sharp prickly hairs. While the lower portion of the leaf is a lighter green and is covered with soft hairs that have a wooly feel. The stem leaves appearance wise are somewhat similar to rosette leaves just smaller is size. Leaves are attached to the stem and extend down it offering a winged looked. Also leaves are indented around the edge with groups of 2 or 3 spine-tipped lobes interspersed with non-lobed portions. Leaf Arrangement: Opposite Characteristics: Reproduction is performed only through the seeds. Bull thistle plants can produce approximately 7000 seeds. Flower Seed Head: The flowers are located at the end of stems covered in spiny hairs. The outer rim of the flower is green and spiny itself, and contains many disk shaped flowers that are reddish-purple. Seed Fruit: The seeds are straw colored with a black streak approximately 1/6 inch long. One end of the seed contains many brown hairs. Where Found: The bull thistle is now established on every continent except the frozen tundra of Antarctica. It grows as a weed in pastures, roadsides, and fields that have been abandoned. It prefers disturbed areas with rich and moist soils. Control Options Related Plants Terms and Definitions Additional Images:
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