Creeping Thistle

A colony-forming, aggressive perennial,
that spreads primarily by its creeping root
system. Despite its name, the plant was introduced
from Europe, and is the only thistle,
native or introduced, with separate male &
female plants. Also called “Creeping Thistle,”
the roots spread both horizontally (up
to 4.5 metres) and vertically (up to 6 metres)
underground. It has been estimated that
individual plants live about 2 years, but are
continually replaced by new shoots from adventitious
buds on its extensive root system.
This can result in infestations composed
entirely of genetically identical plants of one
sex. Dense riparian infestations can impact
wildlife by reducing food, and access & nesting
cover for waterfowl.