Page 4-MSWCD Supplement to the Heppner Gazette-Times, February 23, 1994
Recognize Yellow Starthistle
From a distance, it’s a pretty
yellow flower. Up close, it’s a
spiny weed and very damaging
for landowners. Yellow starthis
tle infests hundreds of thousands
of acres in the Northwest and
Montana and is spreading
rapidly.
This weed is easily recognized
by its bright yellow flowers and
long sharp spines below each
flower. The mature plant is grey-*
green in color and may reach a
height of one to three feet.
Skeletons of last year’s plants are
also easily identified by the white,
cottony remnants of flower
heads.
A native of the Mediterranean
region and member of the
knapweed group, yellow starthis
tle is commonly classed as a
winter annual. It germinates with
fall or spring moisture and is
capable of germinating and pro
ducing seed during one growing
season.
Because the plant is most easi
ly controlled during the seedling
to rosette stage of growth, spring
is a good time to identify infesta
tions and apply control programs.
Yellow starthistle is an invasive
competitor with desirable plants
in range and pasture. It can crowd
out grasses where soil moisture
is limited or plants have been
weakened by grazing. Where this
weed is well established its sharp
spines may exclude livestock
from grazing any grasses grow
ing beneath the starthistle plants.
This weed produces a toxin that
causes death in horses through an
illness called “chewing disease”.
Horses consuming the plant may
develop the disease, which makes
it impossible for the animal to
swallow. The sharp spines may
also damage the eyes of cattle or
other livestock attempting to
graze around the plants.
Starthistle is widespread in
many areas of Idaho, Washing
ton and Oregon. There are ma
jor infestations in the Clearwater
and Salmon River drainages as
well as the lower Snake River
breaks in Idaho. Washington is
estimated to have 133,000 acres
infested with this weed. Oregon
has major infestations in the
foothills of the Blue Mountains
and counties bordering the Col
umbia River. Many other areas
contain smaller infestations.
Effective control of yellow
starthistle is best achieved by
eradication of newly identified in-
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festations and treatment of larger
infestations for containment of the
weed. Well coordinated and
longterm control programs are
often needed for control of larger
infestations.
Combinations of chemical and
cultural controls generally offer
the best prospects for control of
existing infestations. In future
years biological controls may
become important for reducing
plant vigor and slowing spread of
the weed.
Yellow starthistle plants are
easily killed by herbicide applica
tion. Long-term control, how
ever, depends upon the amount of
weed seed in the soil, effective
length of the herbicide residual in
the soil, and the productive poten
tial of the site. Smaller infesta
tions can be eradicated by repeat
applications of a soil residual her
bicide. such as TORDON* 22K.
The best time for herbicide ap
plications is during the seedling
or rosette stages of growth, when
soil moisture is present and the
plants are actively growing.
Spring and early summer are
generally the recommended
seasons for these applications.
Changes in grazing manage
ment or other cultural practices
should be applied in conjunction
with herbicide use for long-term
control in large areas of infesta
tion. Increases in vigor and com
petition from desirable species
can help reduce the growth and
spread of yellow starthistle.
Landowners interested in iden
tification or control programs for
yellow starthistle are encouraged
to contact county weed control
personnel or the county agricul
tural extension agent for specific
recommendations.
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