A Sticky Situation

I really do not have a problem with too many plants in the wild.  If they stay out of my garden, I do not readily hunt them down just to eradicate them.  Sure, there are some that are a bane to the garden such as the dreaded "Cogon Grass" which is not obtrusive as a plant but the root system will choke out anything in its path but I can live and let live.  Then today...

I cut grass and trimmed the yard today.  All was going well until I came across a sizely plant under the pear tree.  Hmm.. thinking this was a dandelion (I really need to learn to check!), I reached down and gave it a yank!  Ouch!  That smarted!  The dandelion wannabe bit back!  On closer inspection, I realized that this was no dandelion!  I had just grabbed hold to a Spiny Sowthistle!  Spiny might be an understatement as this thing was bordering on the same prickliness of a porcupine!  Well, spines or no spines, it had to be removed!  I called Michael!  Yep..sons are great!  He reached in and gave the plant a good tug.  It now sits on the burn pile!  Spiny Sowthistle is not a terrible plant other than two facts.  It can and will stab you with its tons of spines and can (for some folks) cause a terrible rash not unlike Poison Ivy. Then, again, in view of those two facts...I suppose it is a terrible plant!

Contrary to the name, Spiny Sowthistle is not a true thistle.  It is just one of those fun plants that gets confused with every other plant in the garden.  The prickliness of the leaves causes folks to confuse it with a thistle while the puffy seedhead gives reason to confuse it with a Dandelion.  To me, that seed head is the only saving grace of the whole plant!  Against better judgement when I found another Spiny Sowthistle, I blew the seeds!  A whole cloud of fluffy, white parachutes took to the wind!  Now I can look forward to an entire yard of Spiny Sowthistle plants....Ugh!  Boy, was that a dumb move!