Stem

  • 2-6 ft. tall and sometimes wooly and branched; spiny wings caused by leaf bases that extend down the stem
Photo of musk thistle plant with pink flowers
 

Leaves

  • Dark green with a light-green midvein, 4-15 in. long, alternate and sometimes hairy; edges (margins) are deeply lobed and spiny
Photo of musk thistle rosette
 

Flower

  • Pink to purple (occasionally white), up to 3 in. wide, each located at the tip of a stem; head often nods or droops; stem below head usually spineless
  • Base of flower is covered with green, purple- or straw-colored, spine-tipped bracts; bracts are 0.1-0.3 in. wide, lance-shaped and sometimes hairy
Photo of musk thistle pink flower
 

Root

  • Deep, fleshy taproot
Photo of musk thistle plants with pink flowers

Other

  • Often infests roadsides, pastures and waste areas; known to occur throughout Nevada
  • Biennial; reproduces by seed; also known as nodding thistle
 
 

Control

  • Mowing, tilling or hand removal after bolting but prior to flowering is effective; remove the top 2 in. of crown by digging before seed production 
  • Several biological controls are available
  • Apply 2,4-D, chlorsulfuron, clopyralid, dicamba, glyphosate, picloram, or triclopyr to young actively growing plants; aminopyralid, imazapic, imazapyr, metsulfuron, or sulfometuron preemergence or post emergence on young plants
Blecker, L., Creech, E., Dick, J., Gephart, S., Hefner, M., Kratsch, H., Moe, A., Schultz, B. 2020, Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – Musk thistle, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Field Guide

If you need more information.

Please contact Extension's Communication Team for assistance.

 

Also of Interest:

 
Nevada Stakeholder Perceptions of Youth Educational and Mental Health Needs During the Pandemic
Nearly a year after the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in the U.S., it is evident that the pandemic is more than just a physical health crisis, especially for young people.
Horrillo, S; Evans, W; Gallo, J; Norze, J; Stark, C; Sanchez, J; Demchak, M; Chvilicek, S; Bray, S; 2021, Extension | University of Nevada, Reno
Cómo sobrellevar el COVID-19: Aug 12-Webinar Semanal
Cómo sobrellevar el COVID-19: Webinar Semanal Tema de la semana: City of North Las Vegas
Lucas Thomas 2020, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno
Cómo sobrellevar el COVID-19: October 14, 2020
Cómo sobrellevar el COVID-19: October 14 Tema de la semana: Investigación de mercado en línea.
Lucas Thomas 2020, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno
Cómo sobrellevar el COVID-19: Sept. 9, 2020 Webinar Semanal
Cómo sobrellevar el COVID-19: Webinar Semanal Temas de la semana: Decisiones sobre tu negocio y cómo afectan tu crédito .
Lucas Thomas 2020, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno
Cómo sobrellevar el COVID-19: Webinar Semanal (2020-09-16)
Cómo sobrellevar el COVID-19: Webinar Semanal Temas de la semana: ¿Qué hago si no puedo? Empresarios Resilientes.
Lucas Thomas 2020, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno
 

Associated Programs

Building rockets from straws in a great lesson in propulsion.

4-H Youth Development

4-H is a community of young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills.