Declared plant in Western Australia Artichoke thistle (Cynara cardunculus)

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See also: Control Method | Weed description | Declared plants list

(Locality Code: C= City; S=Shire; T=Town)

Category: P1, P2

Location: for the whole of the State

Control Codes and Landholder Obligations

Recommended herbicides

:

September to November. Rosette to early flower head stage Picloram + 2,4-D amine  Glyphosate Round-up Biactive®  Amitrole T, Weedeath

Herbicide	:	Picloram + 2,4-D amine
Active ingredient	:	75 g/litre picloram + 300 g/litre 2,4-D   (Group I)
Amount of product per 10 litres water	:	15 mL to 25 mL
Rate of product per hectare	:	Not Recommended
Time of application	:	September - November before running-up to flower
Remarks	:	Residual effects of picloram will persist for 1-2 seasons affecting legumes but not grasses. Use the 25 mL rate at flowering
More information and other control methods	:	Individual plants may be grubbed. Remove crown otherwise regrowth will occur. The herbicide 2,4-D amine, both 500 and 625 g/l formulations, are effective on this weed.

Herbicide	:	Glyphosate  (various trade names - AVPMA site)
Active ingredient	:	360, 450,490 and 540 g/L and 680 g/kg glyphosate   (Group M)
Amount of product per 10 litres water	:	30 mLfor 360 24 mL for 450, 22 mL for 490 20 mL for 540 g/L glyphosate 16 g for 680 g/kg Other concentrations of glyphosate available
Rate of product per hectare	:	3 Lfor 360 g/L. 2.4 L for 450 g/L 2.2 L for 490 g/L 2.0 L for 540 g/kg 1.6 kg for 680 g/kg Adjust rates for other concentrations of glyphosate
Wetting agent dilution	:	1:1000
Time of application	:	Apply at rosette to early head stage
Remarks	:	Do not treat weeds under poor growing conditions.
More information and other control methods		Rainfall occurring up to 6 hours after application may reduce the effectiveness.

Herbicide	:	Round-up Biactive®, Razor, Eraze, Weedmaster 360 Herbicide
Active ingredient	:	360/L glyphosate               (Group M)
Amount of product per 10 litres water	:	50mL
Time of application	:	Apply at rosette to early head stage
Remarks	:	Preferred treatment to other formulations of glyphosate when treatment is close to ponds, creeks and drainage water.

Herbicide	:	Nufarm Credit Broadhectare Herbicide
Active ingredient	:	540 g/L glyphosate present as the isopropylamine salt and mono-ammonium salts as the only active ingredient. (Group M)
Amount of product per 10 litres water	:	66 - 86 mL
Wetting agent dilution	:	Nufarm Bonus adjuvant/surfactant.                                          At rates for a 1:1 ratio ie. 66 mL of Bonus add 66 mL Credit and 86 mL of Bonus add 86 mL of Credit
Time of application	:	Summer to winter
Remarks	:	This is also a preferred treatment around ponds, creeks and drainage water.

Herbicide	:	Amitrole T, Weedeath       (Group  F)
Active ingredient	:	250 g/L amitrole + 220 g/L ammonium thiocyanate
Amount of product per 10 litres water	:	100 mL
Wetting agent dilution	:	1:400
Time of application	:	Actively growing plants before flowering.
Remarks	:	Respray regrowth and new seedlings.

Family:           Asteraceae                

Form:              Herbaceous – Perennial

Status:            Present in WA

                    (click to view image) 

Artichoke thistle is a native of the Mediterranean regions. It was introduced to Australia late last century, either by accident with fodder or grain, or as an ornamental. It is common in Victoria and South Australia, and has occasionally been found in Western Australia.

It is found mainly on medium to heavy soils and generally in other areas such as roadsides, permanent pastures and waste land. Artichoke thistle is a potentially serious weed of pasture in higher rainfall areas of south-western Western Australia. When established, it dominates other plants by shading and by competing for moisture and nutrients. It can also compete with crops and impede harvesting.

Artichoke thistle is not poisonous, but the prickly nature of the plant deters sheep and cattle from grazing a heavy infestation. However, hungry stock will eat Artichoke thistle foliage and survive on it, but it has a low nutritive value and may cause stomach impaction and mechanical injuries.

Leaves:        Artichoke thistle forms a rosette of very large leaves up to one metre or more in diameter. The leaves are silky greyish-green on upper surface while, the under surface appears almost white because of the dense mat of white hairs. They are deeply divided, each lobe ending in a strong yellow spine. The first set of rosette leaves normally dies off over the summer and new leaves are formed in the following autumn.

Flowers:       In spring a tall, branched flowering stem up to two metres high is produced. One large blue or purple flower forms at the end of each branch. The flower heads consist of tubular florets. They are surrounded by a series of rigid spines. Each plant may produce up to 50 heads. The plant occasionally flowers in the first year, but usually not until the second summer.

Seeds:          The seeds are brown to black, about 5 mm long with a smooth covering. They are equipped with a "parachute" of feathery bristles about 4 cm long. Seeds are set in summer, germinate in autumn and rapidly form a large flat rosette of leaves and a deep tap root.

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