Carduus nutans (musk thistle)

Carduus nutans

Photo courtesy Joseph DiTomaso

Carduus nutans (musk thistle) is a biennial or winter annual (family Asteraceae) found in disturbed open sites, roadsides, pastures, annual grasslands, and waste areas, but is mostly limited to the Klamath and Cascade Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada, and Modoc Plateau in California. Previous populations in southern California were eradicated.

Cal-IPC Inventory rating: Moderate

Cal-IPC Resources on Carduus nutans

• California Invasive Plant Inventory Assessment Form (pdf) - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.
• Cal-IPC News - Articles from our quarterly newsletter. Each issue is available as a pdf. List of articles on Carduus nutans.
• Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings - Presentations and papers from our annual Symposium. List of articles on Carduus nutans.

Cal-IPC News Articles

• Donaldson, S. (2003). Fighting weeds in the Tahoe basin. CalEPPC News. 11: 7.
• Pitcairn, M. (2000). All weeds that have approved biological control agents, accidental introductions and others. CalEPPC News. 8.
• Richardson, B. (2004). The A-rated north. Cal-IPC News. 12: 4-5,14.

Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings

• Carrithers, V., B. Miller, et al. (2005). Aminopyralid: A new reduced risk active ingredient for control of broadleaf invasive and noxious weeds. California Invasive Plant Council Symposium 2005. Chico, CA.
• Carrithers, V. F. (1997). Using Transline* herbicide to control invasive plants. California Exotic Pest Plant Council Symposium '97. Concord, CA.
• Chornesky, E. A. and C. M. Palmer (1995). Use of biologically based methods to control pest plants:Issues related to federal research, regulation, and implementation. Proceedings California Exotic Pest Plant Council Symposium '95. Pacific Grove, CA.
• DiTomaso, J. M. (1997). Risk analysis of various weed control methods. California Exotic Pest Plant Council Symposium '97. Concord, CA.
• Donaldson, S., W. West, et al. (2003). Getting the job done: Working within the regulatory environment at Lake Tahoe to manage weeds. California Invasive Plant Council Symposium 2003. Kings Beach, CA.
• O'Connell, R. A. (1997). Hydrilla: A case study: The state of California's noxious weed eradication programs. California Exotic Pest Plant Council Symposium '97. Concord, CA.
• O'Connell, R. A. (1999). The state of California's noxious weed eradication programs. California Exotic Pest Plant Council. Sacramento, CA.
• Pitcairn, M. J. and D. M. Woods (1998). Control methods: Biological control. California Exotic Pest Plant Council Symposium '98. Ontario, CA.
• Pitcairn, M. J. and D. M. Woods (1998). Control methods: biological control. California Exotic Pest Plant Council Symposium 1998. Ontario, CA.
• Smith, L., M. Cristofaro, et al. (2005). Status of new agents for biological control of yellow starthistle and Russian thistle. California Invasive Plant Council Symposium 2005. Chico, CA.
• Smith, R. L., V. F. Carrithers, et al. (2006). Managing rangeland invasive plants with Aminopyralid (MilestoneTM). Cal-IPC Symposium. Rohnert Park, CA.

Other Resources on Carduus nutans

• USDA PLANTS database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.
• Jepson Online Interchange for California Flora - Information on taxonomy, biology, and distribution from the UC Berkeley Jepson Herbarium.
• CalFlora - Distribution information by county based on submitted observations and herbarium specimens.
• The Nature Conservancy Management Summary - Information compiled by TNC land managers. Photos included for some species.
• Encycloweedia - Plants rated as noxious weeds by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
• CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
• Natural Resource Projects Inventory - State database with information on resource management projects throughout California. Query by the species of interest.

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