Loathed by some, loved by others: the yellow thistle is a surprisingly pretty garden pest that can be found around Lake Martin
By Kenneth Boone
kAmx7 J@F’G6 6G6C H2=<65 32C67@@E :?E@ 2 7:6=5 2?5 925 2? FA\4=@D6\2?5\A6CD@?2= 6?4@F?E6C H:E9 2 ?2E:G6 p=232>2 E9:DE=6[ E9:D 3:E @7 :?7@C>2E:@? H:== 4@>6 2D 2 DFCAC:D6i :ED {2E:? ?2>6 r:CD:F> 9@CC:5F=F> >62?D “D@>6H92E AC:4<=J” E9:DE=6] %9:DE=6 DE@>A6CD C676C E@ :E :? >F49 DEC@?86C E6C>D]k^Am
kAm{6E’D ;FDE D2J p=232>2’D ?2E:G6 E9:DE=6 – E96 J6==@H E9:DE=6 – :D 2C>65 H:E9 9F?5C65D @7 ?665=6\D92CA DA:?6D]k^Am
kAmvC2K:?8 42EE=6 2G@:5 :E]k^Am
kAm%9:DE=6 DA:?6D C@FE:?6=J A:6C46 E9:4< =62E96C 82C56?:?8 8=@G6D]k^Am
kAm%96 DA:?6D 2C6 D@ D92CA E96J H6C6 @?46 FD65 3J u=@C:52’D $6>:?@=6 EC:36 E@ >2<6 3=@H\8F? 52CED]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 “J6==@H E9:DE=6” :D E9:D A=2?E’D >@DE 2446AE65 4@>>@? ?2>6[ D@>6 @7 :ED @E96C >@?:<6CD 2C6 >@C6 56D4C:AE:G6i 3C:DE=J 3F==[ DA:?J E9:DE=6[ 7:6=5 E9:DE=6[ 9@CC:3=6 E9:DE=6[ 3F== E9:DE=6 2?5 AFCA=6 E9:DE=6]k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 E96 J6==@H E9:DE=6’D AC:4<=J ?2EFC6[ :E :D 2 362FE:7F= A=2?E E92E >2<6D :ED6=7 G:D:3=6 E9:D E:>6 @7 J62C[ 6DA64:2==J :? A2DEFC6D 2?5 @? C@25D:56D]k^Am
kAmq642FD6 E9:D A=2?E :D D@ DE@FE[ 5:DE:?4E:G6[ =2C86 2?5 D9@HJ[ :E’D 62DJ E@ A:4< @FE DE2?5:?8 23@G6 E96 8C2DD @? >65:2?D 2E dd >:=6D A6C 9@FC] p?5 E92E’D @?6 A=246 E96 J6==@H E9:DE=6 E9C:G6D] p? :562= =@42E:@? 7@C E9:D A=2?E :D 5:DEFC365 @C 4=62C65 =2?5 E92E 92D 7F== DF? H:E9 >@:DE[ H6==\5C2:?65[ D2?5J @C A@@C D@:=]k^Am
kAm%96 J6==@H E9:DE=6 :D ?2E:G6 @? E96 t2DE6C? D623@2C5 2?5 vF=7 4@2DE2= 2C62D @7 }@CE9 p>6C:42 … 2?5 492?46D 2C6 8@@5 :E’D E96 E2==6DE “H665” :? 2?J 7:6=5 J@F >:89E 92AA6? :?E@ E9:D E:>6 @7 J62C]k^Am
kAm*6==@H E9:DE=6 92D 2 EH@\J62C 8C@HE9 A2EE6C?] %96 7:CDE J62C[ E96 A=2?E AFED 5@H? C@@ED 2?5 AC@5F46D 2 C@D6EE6 @7 =62G6D] %96 D64@?5 J62C[ E96 A=2?E AC@5F46D 2 3C:89E 8C66? DE2=< E92E D9@@ED FA 7C@> E96 46?E6C @7 E96 C@D6EE6 2?5 42? F=E:>2E6=J C6249 d 766E :? 96:89E]k^Am
kAm{62G6D[ H9:49 2C6 E96 962G:=J\2C>@C65 A2CE @7 E96 A=2?E[ 8C@H 2=E6C?2E6=J @? E96 DE6> 2?5 @7E6? 2C49 5@H?H2C5] q@E9 E96 DE6> 2?5 A2CED @7 E96 =62G6D 2C6 4@G6C65 H:E9 E9:? H9:E6 “92:CD” E92E 42? 8:G6 E96 A=2?E 2 D:=G6CJ D966?]k^Am
kAm%96D6 E9:DE=6D’ =2C86[ A:? 4FD9:@?\=:<6 7=@H6CD G2CJ 5C2>2E:42==J :? 4@=@C[ 7C@> H9:E6 E@ J6==@H[ C@D6 E@ =2G6?56C[ >286?E2 @C AFCA=6] %96 7=@H6C :D AC@E64E65 H:E9 =2C86 DA:?J 3C24ED 36?62E9 6249 3=@DD@>[ H9:49 8C@H :? H9@C=D] $@>6E:>6D E96 D2>6 A=2?E H:== AC@5F46 5:776C6?E 4@=@C65 3=@DD@>D @? 5:776C6?E 3C2?496D]k^Am
kAm*6==@H E9:DE=6D 2C6 3=@@>:?8 ?@H 2== 2C@F?5 E96 {2<6 |2CE:? 2C62] ~=56C A=2?ED DAC@FE 2 ?F>36C @7 3=@DD@>D E92E 2C6 @7E6? 3F?4965 E@86E96C @? D9@CE[ E9:4< DE2=<D 2E E96 E@A @7 E96 E2== >2:? DE2=<]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F =@@< 2E @?6 @7 E96D6 :?E6C6DE:?8 A=2?ED 4=@D6=J[ J@F >:89E D66 2 56G6=@A:?8 3F=3@FD 7=@H6C DE:== AC@E64E65 3J DA:?6D] pD :E 368:?D E@ 3=@DD@>[ E96 A=2?E D66>D E@ >:>:4 E96 49:=5C6?’D 82>6 “96C6’D E96 49FC49[ 96C6’D E96 DE66A=6” H96C6 2 @?46\4=@D65 92?57F= D66>D E@ 3FCDE 7@CE9 H:E9 ?2CC@H[ 3C:89E=J 4@=@C65 A6E2=D A@:?E:?8 E@H2C5 E96 D<J 2?5 H2G:?8 :? E96 C@25D:56 3C66K6]k^Am
kAm{2E6C E9:D DF>>6C[ E96 E9:DE=6D H:== AC@5F46 H9:E6[ 5@H?J 3C:DE=6D 23@G6 2 D>2== ?FE=6E E92E 4@?E2:?D 2 D:?8=6 D665] %96 D665D 2C6 5:DA6CD65 3J 3:C5D 2?5 E96 H:?5[ H9:49 42E496D E96 5@H? 2?5 =:7ED E96 D665D :?E@ E96 2:C] $665D 2C6 AC@5F465 7C@> |2J E@ yF=J :? E9:D 2C62]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ >@56C? H:=5 7@@5 E6IED[ E96 :??6C DE2=< @7 E96 7@@E\E2== A=2?ED :D D2:5 E@ 36 8@@5 E@ 62E 3@:=65[ D6CG65 H:E9 D2=E[ A6AA6C 2?5 3FEE6C] xE 92D E96 E6IEFC6 @7 46=6CJ] %96 =62G6D 2?5 DE6> @7 E96 J6==@H E9:DE=6 2C6 65:3=6[ E9@F89 A:4<:?8 2?5 56\DA:?:?8 E96 =62G6D >2J 36 >@C6 EC@F3=6 E92? :E’D H@CE9] %96 C@@E :D 65:3=6 E@@[ 3FE :E C6A@CE65=J 364@>6D E@@ E@F89 E@ 62E 27E6C :E 92D 366? 6DE23=:D965 7@C >@C6 E92? 2 J62C]k^Am
kAm%96 w@F>2 %C:36 7C@> H92E :D ?@H {@F:D:2?2 H2D <?@H? E@ 62E H9:E6 962CED @7 E9:DE=6D C2H] %92E D2>6 EC:36 C6A@CE65=J FD65 :?7FD:@?D @7 J6==@H E9:DE=6 =62G6D 2?5 C@@E 2D 2? 2DEC:?86?E 2?5 2D 2? 6IA64E@C2?E E@ 4=62C A9=68> 7C@> E96 =F?8D 2?5 E9C@2E]k^Am
kAm~E96C }2E:G6 p>6C:42? EC:36D 496H65 E9:DE=6 A6E2=D =:<6 496H:?8 8F>[ @C C@2DE65 2?5 2E6 E9:DE=6 D665D]k^Am
kAm%9:DE=6D 2C6 2? :>A@CE2?E 7@@5 D@FC46 7@C H:=5=:76 2D H6==[ 6DA64:2==J 3FEE6C7=J =2CG26[ 366D 2?5 @E96C :?D64ED] v@=57:?496D 2C6 6DA64:2==J 7@?5 @7 E9:DE=6 D665]k^Am
kAmp? :?E6C6DE:?8 D:56 ?@E6 :D E92E >2?J 962G:=J 2C>@C65 A=2?ED 2C6 65:3=6[ 2?5 D4:6?E:DED 36=:6G6 E92E DA:?6D @C E9@C?D 2C6 2? 6G@=FE:@?2CJ 5676?D6 56D:8?65 E@ <66AD 9F?8CJ >@FE9D 2E 32J]k^Am
kAm%96 E9:DE=6’D 86?FD ?2>6 “r:CD:F>” 4@>6D 7C@> E96 vC66< “<:CD@D[” H9:49 >62?D “DH@==6? G6:?” 2?5 :? 2?4:6?E E:>6D[ E9:DE=6 E62 H2D FD65 E@ EC62E G2C:4@D6 G6:?D]k^Am
kAm%@52J[ >@DE A6@A=6 4@?D:56C J6==@H E9:DE=6 2 =2H? 2?5 A2DEFC6 A6DE[ 3FE D@>6 8C@H :E :? 82C56?D 2D 2? :?E6C6DE:?8[ ?2E:G6 2446?E 7=@H6C]k^Am
kAmx:?7@C>2E:@? 7@C E9:D 2CE:4=6 42>6 7C@> “u@C6DE !=2?ED @7 E96 $@FE962DE[” 3J y2>6D 2?5 z2C= |:==6C[ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]62EE96H665D]4@>^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmHHH]62EE96H665D]4@>k^2m 2?5 @E96C D@FC46D]k^Am