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Originally Posted by Topspinmo
Thistle is considered noxious weed in a lot of states.
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A "weed" is loosely defined as "any plant that wasn't specifically and purposefully planted/grown by you or another human."
Wild rosebushes are weeds. Wild strawberries are weeds. An acorn abandoned by a squirrel that grows into an enormous oak tree in your back yard - started out as a weed.
A thistle, if planted on purpose, is not a weed.
In addition, I said it LOOKS LIKE a thistle. I also said it is pretty, whatever it is. My opinion doesn't change just because it's considered a "noxious" plant in some states. Lastly, I don't know what would be noxious about a thistle. The definition of "noxious:"
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harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant
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(from the Oxford online dictionary).
Thistles are an important plant for ecology and the natural food chain, and is a significant source for pollinators.
The only "harmful" thing about them would be if you picked one up by its spines. You might prick your fingers. That's pretty much it. There's nothing else about it that is harmful, it's not poisonous to anyone or anything, and it's only unpleasant if you get a spine in your skin - otherwise, it's just a neutral, pretty-colored flower.