Did you know there are many species of thistle that are NATIVE to Minnesota? These beneficial plants are widely characterized as being undesirable, but the pollinators, songbirds, and native plant enthusiasts would tend to disagree.
Canada thistle is a well known invasive species that has been giving other thistles a bad name. The incredibly invasive thistle species, is actually from Southeast Europe and Asia – not Canada, despite the name. It is believed to have been accidentally introduced a few hundred years ago, and has since been listed as a noxious weed in most of the United States.
MNL is currently growing 4 different species of native thistle in our greenhouse and field production. Learn more about the benefits, identification tools, and more in this publication from the Xerces Society.
Xerces Society: Native Thistles
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