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SOWTHISTLE, SPINY
 Sowthistle, Spiny
[Sonchus asper (L.) Hill]
DESCRIPTION
Spiny
sowthistle is a summer annual weed with a basal rosette and an upright
flowering stem. The leaves are deeply notched and wavy. Spiny sowthistle has
yellow flowers that appear in late spring, and the leaves and stems emit a
milky-white latex when crushed. The weed is found in open habitats that include
waste areas, turf, and roadsides.
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Characteristic
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Description
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Growth Season
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summer annual weed
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Growth Habit
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upright; young plant is a basal rosette, older plant is upright
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Leaflet Number
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one
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Leaf Margin
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lobed
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Leaf Hairs
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generally, leaves are hairless but have sharp prickles on leaf
margins
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Leaf/Leaflet Shape
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oval/egg-shaped/elliptical; note the clasping lobes at the base
of leaves
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Leaf Width
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1/2 - 1 inch
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Leaf Venation
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pinnate
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Leaf Arrangement
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alternate
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Root Type
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taproot
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Flower Color
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yellow
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sowthistle
leaves clasping stem
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sowthistle
taproot
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Note: Still not
sure this is the right weed? The Turf
& Weed Identification Decision Aid may help. Check the TurfFiles glossary for definitions
of unfamiliar terms.
CULTURAL
CONTROL
Maintain a
dense, actively growing turf through proper mowing, fertilizing, and watering
practices. Mow at the proper height for your selected adapted turfgrass. Coring
and traffic control reduce compaction and encourage desirable turfgrass
competition. It is best to control this summer annual broadleaf weed in late
spring or early summer because it is easier to control at this time and the
turf will have a greater chance of recovering the areas previously occupied by
weeds.
CHEMICAL
CONTROL
Fair to good control can be achieved
with two, three, and four way broadleaf postemergence herbicides.
© North Carolina State University. This information sheet was prepared
by Fred Yelverton, Bridget R. Lassiter, Gail G. Wilkerson, Leon Warren, Travis Gannon, Jenifer J. Reynolds, and Gregory S. Buol. Department of Crop
Science, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, North Carolina State
University. Prepared July 15, 2008. Available on-line at
www.turffiles.ncsu.edu. This publication was made possible through a grant
provided by the Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research & Education
(CENTERE) whose purpose is to support worthwhile projects that will benefit
both the private sector and the public, and protect the environment.
KEYWORDS FOUND IN THIS ARTICLE:
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