musk thistle, nodding thistle
(Carduus nutans)
This species is Introduced in the United States
Native Range
Southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and Central Asia
Appearance
Musk thistle is an upright forb that typically grows as a biennial but can also grow as a winter annual. Plants grow 5 ft (1½ m) tall on average from a fleshy taproot. Leaves are large, dark green, hairless, waxy, and coarsely lobed with white, spiny margins. Stems are stout and have spiny wings along their lower sections only. Flower heads are solitary at the ends of stems and branches. They have magenta florets and purple, wedge-shaped bracts. Seeds are straw-colored and topped by a tuft of fine hairs.
Impact
Introduced thistles currently infest millions of acres across North America, primarily occurring in or along roadways, waterways, agricultural fields, rangelands, pastures, forests, and disturbed areas. They are responsible for millions of dollars of damage annually in reduced agricultural yields and lowered forage value in grazing systems. Introduced invasive thistles can also displace native vegetation, negatively impacting wildlife and threatening the delicate ecological balance within many habitats.
Reference
Randall, C.B., J.E. Andreas, and J. Milan. 2024. Introduced Thistles: History and Ecology in North America. In: R.L. Winston, Ed. Biological Control of Weeds in North America. North American Invasive Species Management Association, Milwaukee, WI. NAISMA-BCW-2024-8- INTRODUCED THISTLES-P. https://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/files/29168.pdf
Resources
- Biological Control of Invasive Plants in the Eastern United States - USDA Forest Service
- Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual - SE-EPPC
- Fire Effects Information System - USDA Forest Service
- Weeds Gone Wild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas - Plant Conservation Alliance
- Element Stewardship Abstract - The Nature Conservancy
- Weed of the Week - USDA Forest Service
- Weed Field Guides - USDA Forest Service
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State Lists - This map identifies those states that have this species on their invasive species list or law.
Invasive Listing Sources
- Alabama Invasive Plant Council
- Alberta Weed Control Act
- Arizona Noxious Weeds
- California Invasive Plant Council
- California Noxious Weeds
- Colorado Noxious Weeds
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, 1994.
- Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council - Category 3
- Hoffman, R. & K. Kearns, Eds. 1997. Wisconsin manual of control recommendations for ecologically invasive plants. Wisconsin Dept. Natural Resources, Bureau of Endangered Resources. Madison, Wisconsin. 102pp.
- Idaho Noxious Weeds
- Illinois Noxious Weeds
- Indiana Invasive Species Council - Invasive Plant List
- Indiana Terrestrial Plant Rule
- Iowa Forest Invasive Plants
- Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
- John Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Survey of TNC Preserves, 1995.
- Kansas Noxious Weeds
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council - Severe Threat
- Maryland Code and Regulations Noxious Weed & Seed Law
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources Policy: Restriction on Planting Exotic Invasive Plants
- Maryland Invasive Species Council - Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland
- Maryland Noxious Weeds
- Michigan Noxious Weeds
- Missouri Noxious Weeds
- Missouri SRISP Species List
- National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
- Nebraska Noxious Weeds
- Nevada Noxious Weeds
- New Hampshire Invasive Species Committee. 2005. Guide to Invasive Upland Plant Species in New Hampshire. New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food Plant Industry Division and New Hampshire Invasive Species Committee.
- New Mexico Noxious Weeds
- Non-Native Invasive Plants of Arlington County, Virginia
- Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
- North Carolina Noxious Weeds
- North Dakota Noxious Weeds
- Ohio Noxious Weeds
- Oklahoma Noxious Weeds
- Oregon Noxious Weeds
- Pacific Northwest Exotic Pest Plant Council, 1998
- Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Invasive Plants
- Pennsylvania Noxious Weeds
- Pennsylvania Regulations for Controlled Plants and Noxious Weeds
- Utah Noxious Weeds - Contain
- Virginia Invasive Species Management Plan 2012
- Washington Noxious Weeds
- WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
- West Virginia Department of Agriculture Regulations Governing the Distribution of Plant Materials
- West Virginia Noxious Weeds
- Wisconsin Noxious Weeds
- Wisconsin's Invasive species rule – NR 40
- Wyoming Noxious Weeds
Taxonomic Rank
| Domain: Eukarya |
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Superorder: Asteranae |
| Order: Asterales |
| Family: Asteraceae |
| Subfamily: Carduoideae |
| Tribe: Cardueae |
| Subtribe: Carduinae |
| Genus: Carduus |
| Carduus nutans |
Other System Links
Plants: CANU4
Bayer: CRUNU
GRIN: 104109
ITIS: 35787
NPDN Pest: PBFAQBC
NPDN Host: 28151
Synonyms and Other Names
Other Common Names:
nodding plumeless thistle, nodding thistle, bristle thistle
Related Scientific Names:
Carduus macrocephalus L. (Synonym)
Carduus macrolepis L. (Synonym)
Carduus nutans nutans L. (Synonym)
References
Common Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Scientific Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.