Teasel

I like teasel, though I probably should not.
Its spiny stem and tall spiked heads stand in our field year ‘round—turning woody and brown as summer fades.
Rising head and shoulders above all others, its form, a constant and easily recognized silhouette.

Brought here from Europe in the 1700s, teasel is now considered invasive in North America, often displacing the other native field flowers and growing in large, dense stands.
But the wildlife it draws to its unusual character I love—from the nectaring butterflies of summer to the seed-eating birds of fall and winter.



A band of tiny light purple flowers opens around the center of each spiked oval head, then spreads in a wave outward, as new flowers open toward the top and bottom, creating 2 rings.
They paint a lavender haze over the rising green tips of goldenrod.
And catch the heavy heads of Queen Anne.




Yes, I like teasel quite a lot.
It seems I'm not the only one.

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