Yellow star thistle

I don t suppose many love yellow star thistle except perhaps the bees attracted by its bright saffron-colored flowers or the honey lovers addicted to the bees sweet product. Most find this weed a nuisance and there is no easy way to remove it. It has taken me many years of burning, mowing, hoeing and replanting with perennial grasses, to restore the old pasture. Today it is full of purple needlegrass, blue wildrye, and California poppies, native species that used to blanket the valley before human activity and invasive weeds all but obliterated them. 

Attacks seedheads of puncture vine Gallfly attacks seedhead of yellow star thistle Weevil—attacks seedhead of yellow star thistle Attacks stem of Russian thistle... 

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