What kind of bird eats thistle?

Do squirrels like thistle feeders?

Thistle or Finch feeders are made to hold nyjer seed which is very small. Nyjer seed is a favorite of the Goldfinches. There is no need to protect this one from squirrels since they don’t seem to like this type of seed. The House or Hopper style is a common attractive type of bird feeder.

Are thistles weeds or grass?

The most common thistle species, Canadian or creeping thistle ( Cirsium arvense ), is a lawn weed found throughout the U.S. That innocent-looking thistle flower matures into a seed-producing machine.

How to get rid of Thistle?

Seedlings and new plants are easiest to kill, but take heart: There’s hope for beating mature ones as well. Stick with it to get rid of thistle for good.

Are thistles a federal noxious weed?

3. Cultivars have been developed in the US for agricultural production, and this is not considered to be a Federal noxious weed. If you find thistles growing in your yard, it might be from seed blowing in from a nearby location. Continue to fill your socks and finch feeders with this seed and enjoy the birds!

Are thistles weeds or seeds?

Similarly, some species of Silybum that occur as weeds, also are cultivated for seeds that yield vegetable oil and pharmaceutical compounds such as Silibinin. Other thistles that nominally are weeds are important honey plants, both as bee fodder in general, and as sources of luxury monofloral honey products.

Are thistles good for birds?

Biennial thistles are particularly noteworthy for their high wildlife value, producing such things as copious floral resources for pollinators, nourishing seeds for birds like the goldfinch, foliage for butterfly larvae, and down for the lining of birds’ nests. Carduus nutans in the early morning light.

Are thistles invasive?

Thistles, even if one restricts the term to members of the Asteraceae, are too varied a group for generalisation; many are troublesome weeds, including some invasive species of Cirsium, Carduus, Silybum and Onopordum.

Is bull thistle an invasive plant?

Bull Thistle: Invasive Noxious Weed. Bull thistle is a biennial. It develops rosettes the first year, succeeded by flower stalks the following year. Plants are covered with spines, making the sort of spontaneous removal that you may practice with other noxious weeds a bad idea for bull thistle.

What’s the difference between Canada thistle and wavyleaf thistle?

A closer look at the attractive flowering head of the wavyleaf thistle (Cirsium undulatum). The flowering heads are distinctly larger than its noxious weed relative, Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense). Photo by Jill Larson Welborn.

Are thistles dangerous weeds?

Thistles ( Cirsium ssp.) sometimes get a bad rap, since some members of this large and diverse genus in the Sunflower or Aster family (Asteraceae) are considered noxious weeds. Thistle species can also be difficult to distinguish, adding to the confusion.

What kind of butterfly eats thistles?

Several butterfly species use native thistles as a host plant for their larvae, including: Painted lady (Vanessa cardui), Mylitta crescent (Phyciodes mylitta), and the California crescent (Phyciodes orseis). Mylitta crescent caterpillars using western thistle (Cirsium occidentale) as a host plant. Hummingbirds are especially fond of thistle nectar.

Why is bull thistle so invasive?

Bull Thistle: Invasive Noxious Weed. The reason why letting it go to seed is such a bad idea is that the seeds of bull thistles, like those of dandelions and common milkweed, are easily transported across the air. Each seed is attached to thistledown, so it can travel far away from the mother plant when the wind blows.

Are bull thistles invasive?

But these descriptions should be restricted to the invasive non-native thistles, like bull thistle ( Cirsium vulgare) and Canada thistle ( Cirsium arvense ); they are the bane of agricultural growers and anyone with ecologically sensitive areas to maintain.

Does bull thistle have a taproot?

This makes sense, because bull thistle has a dense, spike-like taproot that can penetrate even the most compacted soils. Once the plant dies after going to seed, the fleshy root decomposes, adding organic matter, minerals, and leaving behind a sizable channel for air and water to travel deeper down in the soil profile.

Is bull thistle native to Oregon?

Bull thistle was introduced into Oregon in the late 1800s, and it now occurs in every county in the state. Canada thistle has been around for about the same time, and once established, it is a fierce competitor, exuding allelopathic chemicals that inhibit the growth and survival of neighboring native plants.

What is a thistle?

Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles can also occur all over the plant – on the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves.

Do Canada thistles come back every year?

Canada thistles (Cirsium arvense) are perennials, growing back each year from their roots. The plants are 1-3′ tall, and leaves attach in an alternating pattern up the stem. Typical leaf length is 3-4″ inches, although they may reach up to 8″ long and 1″ wide. Stems may branch near the top.

What does a thistle plant look like in California?

Its stems have spiny wings and its flowers are small and cylindrical. The leaves are deeply lobed and have a little bit of milky striping. Italian thistle also has several close relatives in California. Milk thistle ( Silybum marianum) can look a lot like Italian thistle, especially as a seedling.

Why is it called Canada thistle?

It is believed to have come from the eastern Mediterranean region and was likely one of the first weeds that early settlers imported to North America. The plant was called “Canada” thistle because early New England residents blamed its emergence on French traders from Canada.

What does wavyleaf thistle look like?

Wavyleaf thistle is a perennial with simple or branched stems. Leaves are densely hairy, lending a white or gray cast to the leaf surface, and are often deeply lobed, the lobes spine tipped. The discoid flowering heads are solitary to several per stem, and broadly urn shaped. Involucres (bracts subtending the flowers) range from 2. 5-4. 5 cm high.

What animals eat Thistledown?

Soft, fluffy thistledown is used as nesting material by birds such as American goldfinches and blue-gray gnatcatchers. Hummingbirds and moths are also consumers of nutritious thistle nectar. Field thistle attracts butterflies such as this great spangled fritillary.

Do butterflies eat Thistles?

It is common to see butterflies nectaring on thistles. Several butterfly species use native thistles as a host plant for their larvae, including: Painted lady (Vanessa cardui), Mylitta crescent (Phyciodes mylitta), and the California crescent (Phyciodes orseis).

Do hummingbirds eat Thistle nectar?

Hummingbirds are especially fond of thistle nectar. Often spending a considerable amount of time around a thistle patch, sipping nectar in between aerial acrobatics. Suzie watching a hummingbird nectar on western thistle (Cirsium occidentale) in the Applegate Foothills.

What animals eat butterflies?

A few of the other animals that are constantly adding butterflies onto their menu list are frogs and spiders. These predators eat butterflies as butterfly eggs, caterpillars and adult butterflies.

Why are native thistles important?

What they don’t realize, however, is that native thistles play a critical role in native ecosystems. Native thistles get a bad rap simply because of people’s association with their weedy, invasive relatives like bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) and Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense).

Are thistles native to Oregon?

Native thistles get a bad rap simply because of people’s association with their weedy, invasive relatives like bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) and Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense). Bull thistle was introduced into Oregon in the late 1800s, and it now occurs in every county in the state.