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Rangeland -Pasture Recommendations <br />Musk thistle Identification and Management <br />Musk thistle (Carduus nutans) is a non-native biennial forb that reproduces solely <br />by seed. A biennial is a plant that completes its lifecycle within two years. During the <br />first year of growth, musk thistle appears as a rosette in spring or fall. During the <br />second year in mid to late spring -- the stem bolts, flowers, sets seed, and the plant dies. <br />A prolific seed producer, musk thistle can produce up to 20,000 seeds per plant. <br />Therefore, the key to managing this plant is to prevent seed production. <br />Musk thistle can grow up to 6 feet tall. The leaves are spiny, waxy, and dark <br />green in color with a light green midrib. The flowers are purple, large in size (7.5 to 3 <br />inches in diameter), nodding, and terminal. The flowers are surrounded by numerous, <br />lance -shaped, spine -tipped bracts. You can expect to see flowers from late May and <br />June. Seed set usually occurs in June or July. <br />Musk thistle tends to invade disturbed, overgrazed areas. Once a pasture is <br />infested, the livestock carrying capacity for that area is significantly decreased. <br />Musk thistle may also occur on rangeland, roadsides, ditches, riparian areas, and trails. <br />On the backside of this sheet are musk thistle management recommendations. If <br />you have any questions or would like more information, please contact the Weld <br />County Public Works Dept., Weed Division at (970) 304-6496 ext. 3770. Please visit our <br />website www.weldweeds.or <br />