Golden Star Thistle/Yellow Star Thistle/Geeldissel, St. Barnaby’s thistle, Yellow centaury, Yellow cockspur are all common names of the Centaurea solstitialis. This thorny annual plant is a non-native and highly invasive species and noxious weed. It is native to Eurasia, the Mediterranean Basin. It crowds out native species, and if it gets a foot-hold, our native plants can disappear altogether. It’s also very toxic to horses as it can cause a neurological condition. We will be fighting the good fight at the dam site to get rid of this unwelcome plant from the Asteraceae family. Each flower will produce up to 50 seeds so, it can spread rapidly. This plant is an invasive pest in field crops, is a danger to grazing animals, and due to it’s growth habit and sticker nature it can be a physical barrier to wildlife movement.
