Spiny Sow-Thistle [Sonchus asper] found near Fletcher Park on 1 September 2014. It’s a member of the Aster (Asteraceae) family. Wildflowers of the Carolinas, pages 354-355, states it blooms in spring, summer, and fall in dry soils and disturbed areas and that “cows avoid the annual because it is so spiny, allowing it to overrun fields.”
USDA Plants Listing: Sonchus asper
Spiny Sow-Thistle at Fletcher Park – 1 September 2014
Spiny Sow-Thistle (leaves) – 1 September 2014
