To get rid of thorny weeds, you may have to manually remove them, apply chemical herbicides, or look for other ways to prevent their regrowth.

The method to remove them will depend on the type of weed in your garden or lawn. Here are ten common tall weeds with thorns.  

1. Bull thistle – Cirsium vulgare

The bull or spear thistle is a biennial weed that grows up to six feet. The plant is native to Europe and West Asia but is neutralised worldwide.

The bull thistle is considered an invasive weed. It has large, spiny leaves, long, sharp spines on the midrib and the tips of the lobes, purple flowers, and an upright, branched stem. 

The bull thistle has a taproot system and grows in many environments. It is common in recently or repeatedly disturbed areas like hay fields, pastures, trails, roads, and vacant fields. 

You can eliminate the bull thistle through chemical control or manual removal, pulling it by hand or using a hoe.

2. Bristly oxtongue – Helminthotheca echioides

The bristly oxtongue is an annual weed native to North Africa and Europe. The plant can reach between 90 and 150 centimeters in fertile soils and shady places.

The bristly oxtongue has basal rosette leaves with short petioles. It has coarse bristles that cover it and pale thorny pimples on the surface of the leaves. 

The bristly oxtongue is an invasive plant that can outcompete native species and disrupt ecosystems. 

When the soil is moist, you can remove this weed by hand pulling, string trimming, or hoeing.

3. Creeping thistle – Cirsium arvense

The creeping or Canadian thistle is a perennial weed native throughout Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa. 

The herbaceous plant is among the many tall weeds with spikes and can grow to heights of up to 150 centimeters.

The plant has hairless or thinly hair leaves beneath the leaves and produces flowerheads with purple or pink disc florets. 

The creeping thistle is commonly found in disturbed areas and vacant lots. It is a noxious weed with an extensive root system that can make management difficult because new plants can sprout from the roots.

Therefore, applying herbicides is the best way of eliminating the plant. 

4. Devil’s claw – Proboscidea louisianica

The devil’s claw is a leafy perennial weed native to Southern Africa. It has creeping stems that grow to heights of up to two meters.

The weed gets its name from the small hooks that cover its fruit. It also has wide, large, rounded leaves with a slight point on the tip. 

The devil’s claw has branching roots, shoots, and secondary roots that grow out of the main roots. Thus, chemical application offers an effective way of eliminating the weed.

5. Carolina horsenettle – Solanum carolinense

Carolina horsenettle is a tall weed with thorns on the stem. The perennial plant is native to the Southeastern United States and is notorious for being difficult to pull due to its sharp thorns.

The Carolina horsenettle is commonly found in disturbed areas, where the stem can grow to heights of three feet. It also produces white to lavender flowers with a star-like shape, and the undersides of larger leaf veins are covered with prickles or spines. 

Because of its sharp thorns, manual plant removal can be challenging. Therefore, the best way is to apply chemicals.

6. Multiflora rose – Rosa multiflora

Multiflora rose is a perennial shrub native to Eastern Asia. The plant has a single stem, but it can have multiple stems that can grow up to heights of 15 feet.

The shrub is among prickly weeds because it has curved thorns or prickles. Also, its leaves are alternate and have five to eleven leaflets. 

People consider the multiflora rose an invasive weed because it can form dense thickets that destroy good plants and reduce biodiversity. 

Therefore, eliminate it through chemical application or hoeing. 

7. Common cocklebur – Xanthium strumarium

The common cocklebur is an example of a weed that has stems with thorns. The annual plant is native to Southern Europe and Asia and grows to heights of up to four feet.

The stems of the common cocklebur have spots ranging from green to purple, and the leaves are alternate and triangular. It also produces small, inconspicuous flowers arranged in spike-like clusters.

The plant usually grows along roadsides, railways, small streams, riverbanks, and disturbed areas. You can hoe newly emerged cockleburs until you expose the roots and dispose of the seeds.

8. Prickly lettuce – Lactuca serriola

Prickly lettuce is an annual plant native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It has an erect solitary stem reaching heights up to 40 inches.

The plant forms a basal rosette during the early growth cycle. Its leaves are deeply lobed and have prickles on the undersides. 

The prickly lettuce usually grows along roads, railroads, sidewalks, vacant lots, waste areas, pastures, orchards, and cultivated fields. 

Use gloves when dealing with tall weeds with thorns, whether hoeing or hand-pulling. Alternatively, monitoring and removing the plant before it goes to seed is also best.

9. Sandbur – Cenchrus longispinus

Sandbur is an annual and sometimes perennial weed native to Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. These tall weeds with small thorns grow in poorly-maintained lawns and open areas.

It has green-yellow blades that can reach heights of two feet. Also, the weed has a spiny, yellowish bur that forms at the top of the stem, making it painful to step on.

The sandbur has a shallow and fibrous root system that emerges from the plant base. 

Therefore, you can remove it by mowing your lawn, spreading cardboard to suffocate it, or using a pre-emergence to prevent its early growth.

10. Brambles – Robus

Then brambles are a perennial group of plants in the Rubus genus. Most consider them tall weeds with thorns because they have prickly stems and leaves. 

The term bramble is often used to describe raspberries and blackberries. However, the term can also refer to other plants in the Rubus genus, which has over 200 species. 

Brambles grow in many soil types and are adaptable to different environmental conditions. During the growth cycles, the plants produce attractive flowers in white or pink color. 

You can control brambles by using a weed killer or cutting down the plant before waiting for its regrowth.

More Resources

• The most common weeds with thorns

Carla Etheridge

Carla is a student pursuing a B.S in Agricultural Systems Technology. With a passion for landscaping for over 4 years, Carla loves plants. She has previously contributed to several other sites in the space before joining InsightWeeds.

The post 10 tall weeds with thorns (picture identification) appeared first on InsightWeeds.

Most people encountering thorny weeds will do everything possible to eradicate them, including herbicides.

However, some have several benefits, from being edible to offering medicinal properties.

Below, we have compiled a list of the top 10 common thorny weeds that you are likely to find in your garden. If you are to touch them, make sure to wear protective gloves.

1. Spiny sow thistle

Spiny snow thistle is an annual or biennial weed plant that grows tall, reaching up to 2 meters. It is common in gardens, pastures, roadsides, fields, and woody areas.

It is easy to identify as it is one of the most common weeds with thorns on leaves – it has thorns on the edges and the underside of the leaves.

Spiny sow thistles are invasive as they produce several seeds that scatter easily.

However, it has several benefits.

The young leaves of the wild plant are edible – whether cooked or eaten raw.

The plant also has medicinal properties, cultivated for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

2. Catbrier

Catbrier (Smilax bona-nox) is a perennial thorny vine that is popularly known as greenbrier. It has spiny, woody stems, which can be low or high climbing (up to 25 feet), forming thick impenetrable thickets.

Catbrier is highly invasive as it spreads quickly through seeds from its fruits.

However, it also has hardy, deep rhizomes, which can survive even fires, allowing the plant to grow back.

The plant is also beneficial and offers medicinal properties, including treating joint pain, gout, and skin disease.

Its leaves and fruits also serve as food and shelter for wildlife.

3. Burweed

Burweed is also known as spurweed, stickerweed, or lawn burrweed. It is one of the most common weeds with thorns found in grass.

Burrweed is every lawn owner’s nightmare, as it rapidly germinates after winter and can outcompete the grass.

It is also conspicuous, and can easily prick your feet when you are walking barefoot on the lawn.

However, despite its reputation, it does have some benefits. For many years, the plant was cultivated for its medicinal properties, particularly its ability to treat fever.

Therefore, one or two of these weeds growing on your grass might not be bad. But if you feel it is invading your space, use these removal techniques.

4. California burclover

California burclover (Medicago polymorpha), also known as toothed burclover, is an annual broadleaf weed that grows in disturbed pastures, fields, waste areas, and roadsides, just to name a few.

It has oblong-shaped leaves, erect green stems, bright yellow flowers, and prickly seeds (burs).

California burclover can quickly spread through its seeds or deep roots and overtake other plants.

However, it is cultivated in a controlled manner for several benefits. First, the leaves are edible and consumed as vegetables in many regions.

It is also a good source of fodder for livestock.

5. Stickseed

Stickseed, also known as Virginia stickseed, is a biennial plant that grows in light shade and woodland areas.

You will usually find it growing on the roadsides and garden areas and can invade lawns. Virginia stickseed is one of the tall weeds with thorns, reaching up to four feet high.

It has oval-shaped, hairy leaves and tiny white flowers. It also produces prickly nutlets, which release sticky seeds when they dry up.

While stickseed has gained a reputation for being an invasive weed, it was grown as a beneficial plant for several years.

It was used in Cherokee herbal medicine to treat skin cancers and kidney conditions and improve cognitive function.

Some cultures even used it for love charms.

6. Carolina horsenettle

Carolina horsenettle is a perennial herbaceous plant that is native to areas of North America.

It goes by several local names, including sand brier, bull nettle, wild tomato, radical weed, and Sodom apple.

It has large, oblong leaves with sharp prickles on the underside. The stem of the plant is also covered with thorns.

California nettle is an invasive plant that spreads easily through a rhizome system. It also attracts several insects, spreading pests and diseases to crops.

However, it has several benefits. It is cultivated for its medicinal properties, used to treat asthma and bronchitis, and is also a diuretic.

Some communities also use it as an aphrodisiac.

On top of that, it provides nectar to bees (particularly bumblebees) and food (berries) for wildlife.

7. Jimson weed

Jimson weed (Datura stramonium), also known as thorn apple, devil’s snare, or devil’s trumpet, is another thorny weed plant you are likely to find.

It is a flowering plant that is part of the nightshade family. It has an upright growing branching plant with large, undulated leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers.

However, it is more commonly known for its thorny egg-shaped seed capsules (thorn apple) surrounded by prickles.

Jimson weed is a highly invasive plant that spreads quickly through seeds when the capsule dries and bursts.

It is also hard to eradicate due to its thick roots and is considered toxic to human beings and animals.

However, Jimson weed is also famous for its several medicinal properties.

Further, humans used the weed for several years to treat respiratory ailments such as asthma, flu, cough, and swine.

In addition, in early and traditional medicine, humans used the weed to treat epilepsy and explosive conditions.

Jimson weed also contains psychoactive properties, which produce a hallucinogenic effect.

It is used among indigenous Americans and other cultures worldwide for spiritualism and occult practices.

8. Prickly sida

Prickly sida (Sida rhombifolia), also known as arrowleaf sida, is a perennial plant native to the tropic and subtropics region.

It has woody, branching stems that grow up to heights of 120 cm. Its leaves are diamond-shaped and feature small spines at the base of each leaf.

Many consider prickly sida invasive due to its tendency to infest crop fields where cotton, peanuts, and soybeans are grown.

However, it is not entirely without use. The plants are used for their anti-inflammatory properties to relieve swelling.

The plant’s fruits also reduce headaches, while the roots treat rheumatism.

9. Wild brambles

Wild brambles are a variety of wildly growing blackberries and raspberries plants. They are thorny plants, which you can quickly identify with their dark purple and bright red berries.

Brambles are invasive as they can quickly infest gardens and take over from other plants.

However, they are one of the most beneficial wild plants. Their berries are edible and a rich source of antioxidants. Birds and other animals also eat them.

10. Bull thistle

Bull thistles are biennial herbaceous weeds with thorns and purple flowers. They are tall growing, reaching up to seven feet tall.

Its leaves are broad, coarse and deeply lobbed and come with sharp spines extending from the tip of the leaves to the stems.

Bull thistles are highly aggressive, spreading through seeds dispersed by winds.

They can survive in the soil for several years before infesting and thriving in poorly maintained grounds.

However, the bull thistle plant also offers several benefits. The plant was used in traditional medicine to make medicinal tea, which helps treat muscle stiffness and rheumatism.

The roots also aid in digestion and treat stomach cramps.

Wrapping up

The above are some common thorny plants you can come across in your garden, lawn, crop field, roadsides, woods, and other areas.

While the weeds are invasive and toxic, they offer several benefits.

So, before you eradicate them, you might want to consider whether they can benefit you and are worth keeping.

More Guides

• List of weeds that look like small trees
• List of tall weeds with thick stalks

Carla Etheridge

Carla is a student pursuing a B.S in Agricultural Systems Technology. With a passion for landscaping for over 4 years, Carla loves plants. She has previously contributed to several other sites in the space before joining InsightWeeds.

The post 10 most common weeds with thorns appeared first on InsightWeeds.