Russian Thistle

• Weed Description: Well adapted to cultivated dryland agriculture but also found on disturbed rangeland and disturbed habitats.
• Seedlings: Seedling plants have long, fleshy leaves.
• Leaves: Leaves are alternate; the first leaves are long, string-like, and soft. Later leaves are short, scale-like, and tipped with a stiff spine (Whitson et al. 1996).
• Stems: Mature plants are 0.1–1.0 m tall and are rounded, bushy, and highly branched. Stems are red or purple striped.
• Flowers: Inconspicuous flowers are borne in axils of the upper leaves. Each flower is accompanied by a pair of spiny floral bracts (Whitson et al. 1996).
• Seeds: Small, one seeded fruits with winged tips. Seeds are round, black, smooth, and shiny.
• Identifying Characteristics: Russian thistle grows at low- to mid-elevations along roadsides, railroad tracks, fields, and disturbed or unoccupied sites. It grows on well-drained, uncompact soil with a sunny exposure. It cannot tolerate saturated soil for extended periods.

(A Guide to Weeds in British Columbia)