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Origin
Dipsacus laciniatus was introduced from Europe in the 1700’s. The teasel’s prickly stems were used to raise the nap of fabric.
Known Distribution
Cut-leaved Teasel is found in 19 states including both Missouri and Illinois. It ranges from the Mid-Atlantic region, the entire Midwest and into some of the western states.
Habitat
This plant is commonly found along road sides and railroads as well as weedy pastures and waste or significantly disturbed areas.
Ecology
Teasel is a very aggressive exotic plant which can quickly overwhelm native prairies and savannahs. It spreads quickly to become a monoculture eliminating the native plants in the area.
Identification
This herbaceous plant is in the Teasel family (Dipsacaceae) and grows as a low rosette in its first year and grows to a height of 5-7 feet in its second year, when it blooms. The plant also produces a long tap root which may go deep into the soil.
Irregularly lobed leaves are large, oblong, prickly, and opposite forming cups around the prickly stem which may hold water. Leaves of the basal rosette are close to the ground and stay green most of the year.
Flowers, which are white in color, bloom from July to September and are located in heads at the terminal ends of the tall stems.
Dispersal: A single plant can produce over 2,000 seeds of which up to 80% will germinate if conditions are good. Seeds often germinate where they drop but may also be spread by water.
Prevention and Control: Mechanical methods such as pulling can be used effectively for small and young populations. Rosettes should be pulled , older plants cut just below ground to prevent resprouting and later seed development. Often the most effective treatment is foliar applied herbicides, especially for large populations. Round-up and other herbicides have been effective, but broad-leaf specific is preferable to broad spectrum herbicides.
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