WEED ID · WINTER ANNUAL BROADLEAF
Spiny sowthistle
Also called Prickly sowthistle, sow thistle
A prickly winter weed with yellow flowers and milky sap. It is not a true thistle, but it feels like one.
How to spot it
- Leaves are deeply notched and wavy, with spiny teeth along the edges
- Leaves feel prickly, more than annual sowthistle
- Stem leaves wrap around the stem at the base with rounded lobes
- Cut or broken stems leak milky sap
- Young plants start as a flat rosette, then send up a tall stem with yellow flowers
Why it shows up
Spiny sowthistle grows from seed and shows up in open, bare, or thin spots. That means turf, roadsides, and waste areas. It has a taproot, so a broken stem can leave the root behind.
How we treat it
We spot treat young plants with a product labeled for your grass type. Small plants are easier to control, and the lawn recovers faster. We also fertilize and keep the turf thick so fewer open spots are left for it.
What you can do
- Pull young plants early, roots and all. Wear gloves because the leaves are prickly.
- Fill in thin and bare spots. Thick turf leaves less room for it.
- Call when plants are small, before they send up tall stems.
WANT IT HANDLED?
Let a licensed applicator take it from here.
Tell us about your lawn. We’ll get back to you with a free quote.
Prefer to talk? 817-382-1722Licensed applicator, Texas Department of Agriculture · License #0984138