Does anyone know what these strange flowers are?

Does anyone know what these are?
  57 answers
  • Scott Scott on Apr 15, 2016
    Thistle, maybe? It looks "ouchy" ....
  • Scott Scott on Apr 15, 2016
    Milk thistle image .....
  • Yes it is thistle! One of the favorite 'flowers' weeds of finches- for the seeds and also for nesting material when the flowers turn fluffy
  • Cherrell Cherrell on Apr 15, 2016
    Definitely a thistle.
  • Mary E. Sines Mary E. Sines on Apr 15, 2016
    Definitely thistle. I have some in my yard...
  • Johnchip Johnchip on Apr 15, 2016
    Thistle, you obviously have no Scottish blood!
  • Jennifer Muller Jennifer Muller on Apr 15, 2016
    thistle - watch out, they bite! seriously, wear gloves if you pull them out, and keep kids away.
  • Patricia Patricia on Apr 15, 2016
    definitely thistle, little birds in Rockport like the flowers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Apr 15, 2016
    agreed and they really hurt.
  • Bonny McDaniel Bonny McDaniel on Apr 15, 2016
    I would put a bag over them, pull them, and burn them or put them in a garbage bin (not the yard trash bin if you have a recycle yard trash bin...with all those seeds in there, the bag will contain them but they will spread all over if put in with yard trash. This thistle is a big problem all over the west.
  • DORLIS DORLIS on Apr 15, 2016
    GET A WEED DEVIL AND BURN THE SEED HEADS, PULL AND DIG ROOTS (VERY DEEP ROOTS IF NOT KILLED, WILL RESPROUT).
  • Ann Ann on Apr 15, 2016
    Thistle. Like the embroidered flower from the handkerchief in Braveheart. Best to get it out of your yard, though, before it spreads.
  • Marti Marti on Apr 15, 2016
    Thistle. A very nasty weed. Kill it and its seeds before they spread
  • Berniemcginty1950 Berniemcginty1950 on Apr 15, 2016
    They are thistles. Get rid of them as soon as possible. They multiply and will take over your entire yard and they hurt. The tap roots are very long and make it hard to remove.
  • Black Hills Rosie Black Hills Rosie on Apr 15, 2016
    I spend hours spraying Roundup on these every summer on my acreage. Unless it is very young, it is unlikely you will get the root. I see seedling rosettes in summer and spray them, too, as they will bloom and set more seed the following summer. They are awful - considered a noxious weed in most states, I think.
  • Jeanette S Jeanette S on Apr 16, 2016
    I HATE THESE THINGS!!!!! I dig them up and put them in a plastic bag and put in the garbage!
  • Karen Pardoe Karen Pardoe on Apr 16, 2016
    Its a Thistle, get rid
  • Pat Pat on Apr 16, 2016
    thistle...great if you like birds, they love these
  • Angel Wings Angel Wings on Apr 16, 2016
    its a weed, grows like crazy and speards like crazy, use the vinegar or salt method
  • Dfm Dfm on Apr 17, 2016
    thistle....i can't think of any animal that will eat them. you have to kill them at the root level. sometimes digging them out will help-sometimes they come back from the roots. long sleeves and gloves when removing. i'd try the vinegar 1st, and see what happens.
  • DORLIS DORLIS on Apr 18, 2016
    way back when i was 4, knew a farmer who hired men to cut them and then paint them with tar to kill the roots.
  • Pat Pat on Apr 18, 2016
    favorite seed of a lot of song birds, Pine Finches, which are bright yellow, Purple finches and many more. People don't like this "weed" , but it attracts many song birds
  • Susana Udler Susana Udler on Apr 18, 2016
    This is Acanthus montanus, also known as Bear's Breech or Mountain Thistle.It is a thinly branched perennial with basal clusters of oblong to lance-shaped glossy, dark green leaves reaching up to 12 inches (30 cm) long. The leaves have silver marks and wavy margins. It reaches up to 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and about 24 inches (61 cm) wide. Spikes of pale pink flowers appear summer to fall. It prefers shady situations and occasional deep watering, but tolerates sunny, dry situations too. Its aggressive roots make this plant perfect for slopes.
    • See 1 previous
    • Susana Udler Susana Udler on May 12, 2016
      @Bonny McDaniel , thank you for the correction!
  • LeeAnn M LeeAnn M on Apr 18, 2016
    Hi Lynn! This plant is also known as Musk Thistle and is on the noxious, invasive weed list in Nebraska. We have to cut the seed head off and put in a bag to prevent spreading, and dig up or spray the plant. I would check your state or county noxious weed list to see if or how you have to remove it.
    • Candy Shields Candy Shields on Jun 10, 2016
      @LeeAnn M You are RIGHT ON! ****Anyone who would even think of making ornaments from the seed would be spreading this noxious and extremely invasive weed!! Don't do it; seeds can be dormant for many years and still be able to propagate this horrible weed!
  • Pgl Pgl on Apr 19, 2016
    Hey you can make the cutest thistle ornaments....look it up
  • Patricia Bell Patricia Bell on Apr 20, 2016
    I think one important thing to remember is that this thistle spreads like wildfire! If it blooms and goes to seed and drops them. You will have a million more. And they will hurt you with their stickers and spines. I take a long sharp knife and up root everyone that I find.
  • Howard Pat Brentner Howard Pat Brentner on May 10, 2016
    It looks to me like Canada thistle. Illegal in Illinois. Considered a noxious weed and must be destroyed
  • Theresa Theresa on Jun 30, 2016
    Here in TEXAS we call them thistles
  • Ted Brydges Ted Brydges on Jun 30, 2016
    The plants look like what we call Canada Thistle. They are really hard to get rid of once they get started.
  • Brenda Cooley Brenda Cooley on Jul 07, 2016
    Thistle
  • Patricia Bell Patricia Bell on Jul 08, 2016
    This is considered to be a bad weed to get started. As the blooms dry up you will have a million seeds from each bloom. They are hard to get rid of and spread like wildfire. When they reach that stage I take a very sharp knife and a bag and I snip each head and it falls into the bag to be disposed of. We dislike terribly on our farm!
  • Joycepretzer Joycepretzer on Jul 26, 2016
    Link to controlling CanadaThistle which this seems to be. It is definitely a weed! http://www.nrcs.usda.gov//Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_018027.pdf
  • Ted Brydges Ted Brydges on Jul 27, 2016
    Spray those thistles with a herbicide as soon as they come through the ground. Pulling them doesn't help much. New plants start from a very small piece of the rhizome if it breaks off.
  • Cheri Marie Cheri Marie on Aug 07, 2016
    Artichoke Thistle?
  • 12217846 12217846 on Sep 27, 2016
    Cow itch! Ouch!
  • User User on Oct 16, 2016
    ozdobny oset!!
  • Tammyg Tammyg on Oct 21, 2016
    make sure you dig up the roots before they bloom or you will have them all over the place
  • Debra Athas Debra Athas on Oct 21, 2016
    Definitely thistle.
  • Becky Renfrow-Freeze Becky Renfrow-Freeze on Oct 21, 2016
    Here in Texas, we just call them Thistle and you want to get rid of it as soon as you can! They are pretty but they spread everywhere.
  • Sue Sue on Oct 21, 2016
    Thistle. They have many seeds and you will have many thistles in a very short time
  • Fredilia Thompson Fredilia Thompson on Oct 21, 2016
    Yes definitely a Thistle DON'T TOUCH ! You won't forget the hurt !! Dig up root& all then burn or bag send to dump
  • Ire13391027 Ire13391027 on Oct 21, 2016
    I was going to say thistle also..nasty..they grow like wild..big time..get rid of it
  • Mas12291780 Mas12291780 on Oct 22, 2016
    Yes definitely what we call thistle here in Texas and you really need to get rid of them. Pretty but not friendly at all.
  • Marion Powell Marion Powell on Oct 22, 2016
    Whistle..dig it out and use gloves
  • Patricia Barrett Patricia Barrett on Oct 22, 2016
    thistle. You want to get rid of it before it takes over....terrible if stepped on bare footed
  • Bonnie Paul Bonnie Paul on Oct 22, 2016
    Russian Thistle. Pain in the butt to get rid of.
  • Bruce-Diane Cox Bruce-Diane Cox on Oct 22, 2016
    Milk Thistle is what is called in the south. If you have the right tool not so hard to get rid of.
  • Roc6250382 Roc6250382 on Oct 22, 2016
    Se llama cardo mariano y sirve para múltiples enfermedades,entre ellas la cirrosis hepática.
  • Kat8686523 Kat8686523 on Oct 22, 2016
    Thistle
  • Kat8686523 Kat8686523 on Oct 22, 2016
    Be careful, Use gloves. Get rid of it and s much root as you can. It can keep coming back and the roots spread.
  • Kathet Kathet on Oct 22, 2016
    They are thistle, they're the national flower of Scotland.
  • Karol Karol on Oct 22, 2016
    Yes, I agree. It's thistle and as rocio says, its good for many ailments. Although I've never heard of it being used for liver cirrhosis.
  • Christeen Gaskill Christeen Gaskill on Oct 23, 2016
    The farmers and ranchers in our area consider it a weed and kill it every chance they get.
  • Jerico Jerico on Oct 23, 2016
    thistles and where I am in the show me you can get a $100 fine having them in your fields ;
  • Misty Leigh Sturrock Misty Leigh Sturrock on Oct 25, 2016
    Yes, thistle, a weed and get ride of it by the root and wear gloves! Bad about spreading. Burn pile for that one!
  • Lisa Matejek Stephens Lisa Matejek Stephens on Oct 27, 2016
    Thistle. Read it can spread and take over an area fairly fast. Love the blossoms 😕
  • Barbara Barbara on Nov 12, 2016
    Yeth, it is Thith-le! Spiney and hurts like heck, but cows eat them like candy. I used a burning torch to the roots. I hear that vinegar and hot water works... .ask a cow.