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Scotch Thistle
Onopordum acanthium |
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Rosette
 First year rosettes are 5 to 12 inches across. Second year rosettes may be four feet wide. Large spiny leaves up to two feet long and one foot wide are covered with dense hair, giving a grayish blue-green coloration. |
Adult
 This biennial plant commonly grows three to eight feet tall, but it may grow as high as 12 feet.
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Flower
 The flowers are violet to reddish with spine tipped bracts, blooming in mid summer. |
Weed Infestation
 Scotch thistle is native to Europe and eastern Asia. It grows well in waste areas, pastures, range land, and along canal and stream banks.
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Winged stems

Stems are heavily ridged and very spiny. |
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