Thistle of North Dakota

Thistle is an old English name, essentially the same in all languages, for a large group of plants with a dubious reputation. In ancient history the thistle represented part of the primeval curse on the earth in general, and on man in particular. In Greek history Earth made the thistle in a moment of grief for the loss of Daphnis, shepherd and musician, poet and hunter. In Norse mythology Thor, the thunderer, protected the plant, known as the lightning plant, and all those that wore it from harm. The common cotton thistle or Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium L.) has regal stature. During the reign of Malcolm I of Scotland, Norsemen attempted to capture the Staines Castle by wading across the moat in their bare feet, only to find the moat dry and overgrown with thistle. The painful cries of the warriors roused the castle guards and the Norsemen were defeated. To commemorate this victory, the flower became the emblem of Scotland. In some translations, thistle is also the basis of Hans Christian Anderson's tale The Wild Swans, where eleven princes were freed from their entrapment as swans when their sister made shirts from thistle and placed them on their backs.

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Floodman Thistle Field Thistle Wavyleaf Thistle Swamp Thistle Tall Thistle

W-1120, October 1996 Rodney G. Lym, Professor, Department of Plant Sciences Katheryn M. Christianson, Research Specialist, Department of Plant Sciences
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Thistle is an old English name, essentially the same in all languages, for a large group of plants with a dubious reputation. In ancient history the thistle represented part of the primeval curse on the earth in general, and on man in particular. In Greek history Earth made the thistle in a moment of grief for the loss of Daphnis, shepherd and musician, poet and hunter. In Norse mythology Thor, the thunderer, protected the plant, known as the lightning plant, and all those that wore it from harm. The common cotton thistle or Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium L.) has regal stature. During the reign of Malcolm I of Scotland, Norsemen attempted to capture the Staines Castle by wading across the moat in their bare feet, only to find the moat dry and overgrown with thistle. The painful cries of the warriors roused the castle guards and the Norsemen were defeated. To commemorate this victory, the flower became the emblem of Scotland. In some translations, thistle is also the basis of Hans Christian Anderson's tale The Wild Swans, where eleven princes were freed from their entrapment as swans when their sister made shirts from thistle and placed them on their backs. Top

Thistles in agriculture have a reputation as a sign of untidiness and neglect, and are often found on good ground not properly cared for. Floodman's Thistle								However, this unfortunate characteristic is only true of a few invasive species and is not accurate for the vast majority of native thistles which have many useful traits. Europeans, Native Americans, and early settlers found many thistle species edible as well as useful for medicinal purposes. Thistle achenes as raw seeds are bitter but were often roasted before being eaten. The young leaves of Canada, bull, and plumeless thistle, with the spines removed, can be served as a salad or cooked like spinach. The inner stem pith can be steamed and served like asparagus, once the outer layer is peeled off. The heads of these plants also can be used as a rennet to curdle milk for cheese making.
Blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus L.) is cultivated in southern Europe and has the reputation of curing many ills, including the plague. Extracts from milk thistle [Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.] are sold in health food stores to combat the liver diseases, hepatitis and cirrhosis. The extracts contain silymarin, a compound that may inhibit toxins from translocating across liver cell membranes. Thistle plumes, especially musk thistle pappus, were used to make paper during the 18th century. Top
Many native birds and insects utilize the various thistle species as a food source and for materials to build nests. Goldfinches feed on several thistle species, and bees utilize the plants to make an especially sweet honey. Many butterfly larvae, especially in the metalmark group, use thistle as their main or only food source. Wasps, flies, and beetles feed on the pollen of thistle flowers, which in turn provide a food source for other wildlife.
Nine species of thistle are found in North Dakota, of which five are native and one is considered rare. North Dakota has a relatively low population of native thistles compared to most western states, which commonly have 25 or more native thistle species. Some plants referred to as thistles such as perennial sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis L.) and Russian thistle (Salsola iberica Sennen) are not true thistles, but rather are plants with poorly chosen common names. Most native thistle species go unnoticed. Only a few introduced thistles have become weedy pests. There are approximately 160 native thistle species in North America, with at least 110 species north of Mexico and 50 in Latin America south of the Mexican border.
Native North Dakota Thistles Of the five native thistle species in North Dakota, Floodman and wavyleaf thistle are perennials, while tall, field, and swamp thistle are biennials. Floodman thistle is the most common of these plants and is found in all North Dakota counties, while tall thistle is considered rare and is on the threatened/endangered species list in some regions. Top
Distribution of native thistles in North Dakota by county. A highlighted county indicates one or more documented occurrences, although the species may be found elsewhere.

Floodman Thistle Field Thistle Wavyleaf Thistle Swamp Thistle Tall Thistle
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