Selected Plants of Navajo Rangelands

Diné bikéyah Chi’l nooséłígíí Bąąhą́ą́nosin
Take care of our Navajo Rangelands

Thistle, Scotch
Zéé hókanííł béí, Whosh Waa’
(a.k.a. scotch cottonthistle )

Thistle growing among dense grasses in a grassland habitat
Amy Smith Muise

Scotch thistle is a noxious, biennial weed that grows up to 12 feet tall. It has spiny wings along the stem. The leaves have a grayish appearance due to dense hairs on the surface. Flowers are reddish to violet. Scotch thistle is often associated with waste places and roadways, as well as rivers, streams, canals, or other waterways,

It can also be abundant in dry pastures, fields, and rangeland, and thrives in light, well-drained, and sandy or stony soils.

Brushland growth habit showing tall stems with multiple branches, each containing several flowers
Amy Smith Muise
A dense stand of thistle, showing invasive tendencies
Renee Benally
A bud that is about to open. The tip is reddish, but the rest of the bud is covered in spiny green bracts
Lesley Ingram, Bugwood.org
Spiny, lobed leaves sheltering equally spiny buds
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
Close-up of a bud about to open. The tip of this bud is an orangey yellow
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
A dried flower with spines protruding
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
A dried flower with spines protruding
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
Bees on a flower in bloom
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
Scientific Name
Onopordum acanthium
Plant Type
Forb
Growing Season
Warm Season
Habitat
Piņon-Juniper Woodland
Flower Color
Blue / Purple
⚠
Noxious
For definitions, see the glossary.

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