“Asters, Groundsels, and especially Thistles, afford most familiar examples of a hairy or downy pappus; those of thistles, &c. in autumn sailing about in every breeze.” — Asa Gray, “How Plants Grow,” ...

While most gardeners would be quick to rip this weed from their garden bed, this man is proud of his 12ft tall thistle which he can lovingly tend to from his upstairs window. John Lowde, 86, believes ...

The botanical pause of winter is monotonous in its consistency. Each day, with very few exceptions, is just like the one before it, with plants in suspended animation. February brings the first ...

One morning in August Lancaster County’s weed superintendent got a call from a golfer who said he'd spotted musk thistle, the noxious weed with the pinkish purple flower, near the sixth fairway at ...

Thistles, like Rodney Dangerfield, get no respect. In fact, most people dislike, or fully hate, thistles. Some species, such as the Canada thistle, have earned their bad reputation; but others, ...

Thistles are a marvelous group of plants. Botanists place them all as members of the sunflower (or aster) family, which is a truly gargantuan group with over 20,000 species. The thistles are always ...