Thistles have reputations as especially prickly plants, and species found in Northcentral Texas and Southwestern Oklahoma are not exceptions. Some cultures and traditions have low regard for thistles.

SALT LAKE CITY -- As summer heats up, the sight of blooming thistles may give male goldfinches a testosterone kick. Thistle flowers could signal to American goldfinches that the seeds the songbirds ...

Globe thistle’s pale purple to steel blue flowers, held high on stiff stems above coarse dark green foliage, are stealing the show this summer in gardens where they grow. Sea holly is a close second ...

SALT LAKE CITY — As summer heats up, the sight of blooming thistles may give male goldfinches a testosterone kick. Thistle flowers could signal to American goldfinches that the seeds the songbirds ...

Thistles may be best known for their spiny leaves and stems. I think of them as going by the philosophy, “The best defense is a lot of sharp points,” like cactuses and roses. A thistle’s spines are ...

This study documented two behavioural responses to pollen and nectar deprivation in a colony of bumble bees: flower handling and choice. In two laboratory experiments, colonies were deprived, on ...

I declare this the Year of the Thistle. This September, the country will have the opportunity to grasp it and set us off in an exciting new direction, so Scots gardeners should celebrate this by ...

THISTLES are some of the most pernicious and obnoxious weeds ever invented. The standard farmer’s nightmare version spreads far and wide via tough underground roving roots, and sends forth clouds of ...

VAIL, Colorado – If there was a poster child for noxious weeds, thistles could do the job. They are easily noticed with big, pink flowers and sharp spines. They form dense colonies and can be found ...

Biocontrol advocates claim that releasing non-native insects to control non-native plants is safe for native species -- but the number of "exceptions" keeps growing. The latest is a weevil intended to ...