Weed profile: Golden thistle
Golden thistle
Golden thistle
Scolymus hispanicus
Golden thistle is a biennial or perennial thistle up to 80 centimetres high, spiny and sometimes hairy. It occurs as a weed of pastures and is rarely eaten by livestock due to its spiny nature and because dense infestations are almost impenetrable.
Seeds can be spread by wind, or on broken plants stuck to fibres or moving in water. New plants can also grow from root fragments which can be spread in fodder and on machinery.
Golden thistle is native to Mediterranean regions.
This species is different to spotted thistle (also known as spotted golden thistle, Scolymus maculatus) which is a common weed of pastures and cleared areas.
Status
- Declared in NSW under the Noxious Weeds Act 1993 (view details)