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Re: Overcoming Guilt

Don't worry. I made a mistake when I referred to poison ivy as an alien,
but I have been very careful about the thistles, perhaps too careful. One
reason our thistle patches (now identified as Canada thistle and Bull
thistle) are out control is that last year, when we decided to restore the
hill prairie next to our house (which we had just moved into), I was
terrified of accidentally destroying native plants. I walked carefully,
avoiding excess trampling of vegetation while I tried to identify the
plants growing around us. I didn't even allow my neices to run through the
grass, certain that they would stomp on the only small skullcap specimen
within mile and lead the species to extinction. When I saw thistles, I was
aware that there are noxious alien thistles that I'm required to eradicate
by local law, but I was also  aware that the native thistles are severely
threatened. Not yet skilled at plant identification, I left everything in
place.

I wish I had know how identify thistles last year -- and I'm still trying
to find a native thistle somewhere on our six acres -- but that's in the
past. Now I have to bring these patches under control. They are expanding
to engulf native plants.I'd be happy to replace them with less-aggressive
natives, but I don't recall seeing such seed in the catalogues I have. Can
someone tell me where to purchase Cirsium discolor or Cirsium hillii seed?


>What might be better than overcoming guilt is overcoming ignorance.
>
>Native thistles are part of the prairie community and generally are a
>response to disturbance by herbivores, fire, or other natural events like
>burrowing mammals.  They eventually disappear as succession proceeds, and
>are replaced by a more stable plant community of grasses and forbs.  Their
>importance to certain species should be overlooked simply because you may
>not like them.  Yesterday I found a goldfinch nest with 6 eggs in a field
>thistle, the nest was lined with thistle down. The parent birds eat seed
>then regurgitating them as food for their young.  They are also used
>extensively as a food source by a host of butterflies and other insect
>species.
>
>We always notice that native thistles tend to be the most common the 3rd
>year of a prairie reconstruction.  After this they are represented by only
>scattered individuals.  Most are biennials and flower the second year,
>except for the Canadian thistles which are perennial and spread by rhizomes.
>We remove them from our plantings by pulling and have very good results.
>
>Learn your thistles and you will find them to be an important part of the
>tallgrass prairie community.
>
>Carl Kurtz
>Central Iowa
>----------
>>From: "J. A. Raasch" <jaraasch@facstaff.wisc.edu>
>>To: prairie list <prairie@mallorn.com>
>>Subject: Overcoming Guilt
>>Date: Fri, Aug 6, 1999, 11:59 PM
>>
>
>> Hello:
>>
>>This is perhaps more philosophical than my previous questions. As I was
>>hacking down a small area of thistle plants I suddenly felt some guilt over
>>the destruction  I'm responsible for. On prior days I had noticed that
>>red-wing blackbirds nest in thistle patches. I also noticed numerous birds
>>(including yellow finches) eating seeds or  insects from the noxious
>>plants. Please convince me that  a healthy grassland or savanna habitat --
>>even just a few  acres -- will balance the destruction. Is there an
>>alternative food source I can establish for the finches?
>>
>>Sometimes I worry too much.
>>
>>Thank you for your views!
>>J. A. Raasch
>>University of Wisconsin - Madison
>>Plant Biotechnology Laboratory
>>UWBC 425 Henry Mall
>>Madison, WI   53706
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