Flowering period starts in June. Musk thistle is a biennial plant that infests pastures, rangeland, and timberlands, and also roadsides, waste areas, ditch banks, and stream courses. It aggressively forms dense stands, crowding out native species. It spreads by seed.
Herbicides are effective.
Call your local weed control office for the latest methods of eradicating this noxious pest. An introduced seedhead weevil feeds on the seeds and limits spread. Maintenance of fields and range through fertilization and irrigation helps prevent infestation. Cutting off the rosette below the crown kills the plant, and mowing in bud season can reduce seed production.