Musk Thistle Identification Musk Thistle Noxious Weed Identification Also known as nodding thistle, musk thistle is native to Europe. It is an aggressive weed of pastures, rangeland, roadsides and non-crop areas. Musk refers to the sweet odor of the blossom. As the plant reaches maturity, the large, heavy flower heads, solitary at the ends of the stems, hang down and nod in the breeze.
Sharp spines grow along the leaf margins and extend down the branches and stems.
The stem just below the flower head is mostly bare of leaves, bracts and spines. Stems may reach 6 feet or more in height. Musk thistle is normally a biennial, but may behave as a winter annual by germinating in the fall, overwintering as a rosette, and flowering that summer. For questions about the Water and Land Resources Web Site, please contact Fred Bentler , webmaster. By visiting this and other King County web pages, you expressly agree to be bound by terms and conditions of the site.