LesTension

By LesTension

COMMON SOW THISTLE

It's Flower Friday and, finally, flowers are appearing around here after Old Man Winter took his time leaving the county.  Hopefully he's gone for a few months.....but he's a Sneaky Pete and a short return cannot be ruled out.
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Sow Thistle (Sonchus oleraceus)...."It got the name Sow Thistle from the fact that when cut the plant exudes a latex like milk which was believed to help lactation in mothering sows. It has been used as fodder for many animals, particularly rabbits and pigs."  Wiki

It is often confused with dandelions.
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Common plant almost world-wide and often found in disturbed areas; likes to live in my lawn but Thumper, the local Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus) keeps it under control so I don't have to use poisons.  
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I don't like using chemicals on my lawn...too much of it gets washed away in the rain, down the culverts and into local rivers and ultimately Lake Michigan. I don't like that...the chemicals are worked up the food chain and get into fish which I eat.  I don't need that chemical load...I get enough chemicals from the pills I need to take every day to maintain my heart health. I don't need to add plant poisons to the mix
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Best in Large.

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