Nodding Thistle typically starts flowering in June.
Nodding Thistle
Carduus nutans
Also Known As - Musk Thistle,Nodding Plumeless ThistleThe Nodding Thistle (Carduus nutans) is a perennial species of thistle, native to Europe and Russia. It has deeply cut leaves with spiny margins and a large, purple flower head with yellow anthers. This species can grow up to 6 feet tall and is an aggressive colonizer of roadsides, pastures and other disturbed areas. It remains green until midsummer when the seed heads turn from purple to a silvery-gray colour. The tap root is deep and can make the plant difficult to eradicate once established. Nodding Thistle can be controlled by mechanical or chemical methods.
Watering:
Average
Propagation:
Seed Propagation,Division,Root Cutting,Layering Propagation
Hardiness Zone:
Flowers:
Red|Purple Flowers
Sun:
Sun, Partial Shade
Soil:
Clay, Sand
Fruits:
brown,tan,black Fruits Ready In Fall
Leaf:
Yes
Leaf Color:
green,tan
Growth Rate:
High
Invasive:
Yes
Care Level:
Medium
watering
Nodding thistle does best with regular, deep and infrequent watering. Water the plant when the top 2 inches of soil is dry. Soak the soil deeply when you water, until water runs out of the bottom of the pot. Allow the plant to drain well before placing it back where it was. Avoid frequent, light watering, which can encourage shallow roots and may not get water far enough down to the plant's root system.
sunlight
Nodding Thistle prefers full sun and should be grown in a location that gets at least 8 to 10 hours of sunlight per day. The plant will tolerate some shade, but is much less likely to bloom and benefits from full sun. It blooms best when the sun is strongest, usually in the middle of the day. The plant should be watered deeply once a week, allowing a few days for the soil to dry out between waterings.
pruning
Nodding Thistle (Carduus nutans) should be pruned in late winter or early spring before new growth begins. Pruning should be limited to removing dead or damaged stems and any flower heads that have already set seed. This ensures that the new growth is young and vigorous, and the plant does not put energy into developing seed during the growing season. Pruning in late summer or fall should be avoided to prevent the plant from putting energy into new stem growth late in the growing season when it is more vulnerable to frost damage.
Season
Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Starts Flowering
Harvest Fruit
Harvesting of Carduus nutans typically begins in July and continues through August.
