Stem

  • Up to 4 ft. tall, stiff, highly branched, bushy and covered with hairs; NO wings on upper stems
Photo of Purple starthistle

Leaves

  • Alternate; 4-8 in. long, mostly pinnate-divided, covered with short grayish hairs and dotted with resin
Photo of Purple starthistle

Flower

  • Pink to purple, each located at the tip of a branch; base of flower is vase-shaped, 0.75-1 in. long, 0.25 in. wide and covered with stout, straw-colored spines 0.4-1 in. long
Photo of Purple starthistle

Root

  • Deep, stout taproot
Photo of purple starthistle

Other

  • Grows best in sites with heavy, fertile soils; often infests rangelands, waste areas and roadsides; not known to occur in Nevada
  • Annual, biennial or perennial; reproduces by seed; older rosettes have a circle of straw-colored spines at the center
  • Closely resembles Iberian starthistle in everything except seed; seed of Iberian starthistle has plume of bristles extending from one end, purple starthistle does NOT
 

Control

  • Mowing plants in bud to flower stage can reduce seed production; repeated hand removal can be effective; DO NOT burn
  • Apply 2,4-D, clopyralid, dicamba, or glyphosate in the rosette stage; aminocyclopyrachlor, aminoyralid, picloram or sulfometuron preemergence to rosette stage 
Blecker, L., Creech, E., Dick, J., Gephart, S., Hefner, M., Kratsch, H., Moe, A., Schultz, B. 2020, Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – Purple Starthistle, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Field Guide

Extension Associated Contacts

Jill Baker-Tingey
Jill Baker-Tingey
 

Also of Interest:

 
A Collaborative Domestic Violence Prevention Program
This factsheet contains a collection of programs to prevent domestic violence and two-day training for law enforcement to understand the many issues surrounding domestic violence.
 Powell, P., Smith, M., Riley, J., Harmon, A., Ryan, C., and Butler, J. 2010, Extension | University of Nevada, Reno, FS-10-74
 

Associated Programs

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Heart & Hope: Building Resilient Families

Heart & Hope provides resources and skills to victims of domestic violence who have left the perpetrator and are building a new life for themselves and their family. Workshops help parent victims gain parenting skills and confidence, build resilience for themselves and their children, avoid becoming victims in future relationships, strengthen family relationships and envision hope for the future. Workshops help children build social and emotional skills to prevent them from becoming future victi