From Chuck Schuster, Extension Educator at UMD Extension:
Common teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) is a weed that is found throughout the United States. This plant is considered noxious in many areas, but not in Maryland. This plant can reach a height of greater than six feet, is a biennial, develops a rosette with a taproot, and is found in many low maintenance areas. It starts with a basal rosette, then flowering stems are produced in the second year of growth.
Rosette leaves are oval with scalloped teeth and are wrinkled in appearance. The first year the plant will remain as the basal rosette, and during the second year the flower stalk is produced. It is often unnoticed during the first year due to its prostrate growth habit. Leaves on the flowering stem are opposite and without petioles. These leaves surround the stem in a clasping nature. The midveins on the leaf have small or short prickles on them. The stem is erect with downward facing small prickles. The flowers are egg-shaped with a squared off base. The flowers will be between one and four inches in length and will have many smaller individual white to lilac colored flowers. Several individual bracts will occur at the base of each flower curving around the head itself.
During the first year it can be improperly identified as common burdock, or broadleaf dock. Neither of the dock species have the wrinkled leaf that is found on common teasel. Cultural control of common teasel can be achieved using mowing as an option. This will prevent seed production.
Ed: The teasel was reputed to be the poor man’s comb in colonial times, which may be where the term ‘tease’ one’s hair came from for all those 50’s Baltimore beehive hairdos. The leaves on a full-grown plant will hold as much as a tablespoon of water following a rain and you can see hummingbirds and pollinators drinking from them. They dry well and make an interesting addition to dried arrangements and wreaths, but if you let them go to seed on truly fertile ground, you may have thousands next year.
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