Scotch Nodding Spear Thistle
Scotch (Onopordum acanthium), Nodding (Carduus nutans) and Spear Thistles (Cirsium vulgare) are large thistles that grow best on high fertility soils disturbed by cropping, grazing or pasture management activities.
They are strong competitors and dense infestations reduce carrying capacity. Livestock avoid these thistles as they have dense sharp spines. These spines damage animal hides, mouths and eyes and cause vegetable fault in wool.
The key to managing thistles is to reduce seed set and germination while encouraging a strong competitive pasture.
Managing Scotch Nodding and Spear Thistle boosts pasture (PDF, 255KB)
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