Canada thistle

A perennial herb (Cirsium arvense) in the composite family, native to Europe and naturalized as a noxious weed in North America, having spiny-margined leaves and rose-purple or sometimes white flower heads.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Canada thistle

(Plants) the US and Canadian name for creeping thistle

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Can′ada this′tle

an Old World prickly composite plant, Cirsiumarvense, having small purple or white flower heads, now a troublesome weed in North America.

[1790–1800, Amer.]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

Canada thistle - European thistle naturalized in United States and Canada where it is a pernicious weed

Cirsium arvense, creeping thistle

plume thistle, plumed thistle - any of numerous biennial to perennial herbs with handsome purple or yellow or occasionally white flower heads

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References in classic literature

Some gamesome wights will tell you that they have to plant weeds there, they don't grow naturally; that they import Canada thistles; that they have to send beyond seas for a spile to stop a leak in an oil cask; that pieces of wood in Nantucket are carried about like bits of the true cross in Rome; that people there plant toadstools before their houses, to get under the shade in summer time; that one blade of grass makes an oasis, three blades in a day's walk a prairie; that they wear quicksand shoes, something like Laplander snowshoes; that they are so shut up, belted about, every way inclosed, surrounded, and made an utter island of by the ocean, that to their very chairs and tables small clams will sometimes be found adhering, as to the backs of sea turtles.

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But whichever garden you have, be watchful for three cool season annual weeds that overwinter here, appear early, and can wreak havoc on any garden: Canada thistle, quack grass and field bindweed.

Cut back perennials in autumn or spring?

Carmen Fernholz has been growing hay organically for more than 40 years, and he says it pays off in three ways: He has a strong market of organic dairy producers, it builds soil for his crop rotation, and it controls Canada thistle.

GOIN' HOG WILD WITH ORGANIC HAY AND COUNTRIFIED CRITTERS: from our friends at FARM SHOW

Their job was to chow down on Canada thistle, leafy spurge, common tansy, common burdock, yellow toadflax and dandelions, while under the watch of a skilled shepherd and several herding horses and dogs.

Want to be a Goat Coordinator? Herea[euro][TM]s Your Chance

Come spring, I prepared the trenches, planted the roots and then, along with the emerging asparagus, came the brome grass, Canada thistle, and a million varieties of annual weeds.

Weeds in the asparagus patch

* Avoid tilling overly aggressive or invasive plants that produce rootbuds, such as crabgrass, johnsongrass, bindweed or Canada thistle. Dig them out by hand.

Choosing the right tiller: happiness and a garden tiller can go hand in hand

If you're not aware, Canada thistle is a noxious weed that's also obnoxious if you're trying to crawl through it.

A recluse in the thistles: sometimes, being a loner and not heeding the advice of others can be fatal

Asked what her sales pitch might be to groups considering signing up for a twice-a-year stint pulling up gorse, Canada thistle, Scotch broom and other noxious weeds, Morrison paused and chuckled.

Officials offer new avenue to pick up volunteer hours

thistle, holy thistle, Syrian thistle, golden thistle, Canada thistle,

Thistle flowers: theology from the wayside

Ziska has also collaborated on work showing that cheatgrass and Canada thistle flourish when C[O.sub.2] levels rise.

As C[O.sub.2] levels rise, plants--and humans--respond

Canada thistle, bermuda grass, leafy spurge, dandelion, and Johnsongrass can spread asexually and can regenerate from perennial structures (Figures 14-5 and 14-6).

Chapter 14: Weeds