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agkistrodon

To thistle or not to thistle...

agkistrodon
9 years ago

Hello...this is a "what would you do ?" question and I'd appreciate ANY input. I moved to this property about 3 yrs ago. It is a combination of woodland and grassy/scrub. I've pretty much left the woodland alone but added some VA bluebells which have done very well. I wanted to take some of the grassy areas back and plant them w/full sun natives and native grasses for birds and insects. When we first arrived there were Canadian thistles everywhere and they were swarming w/swallowtails...I thought it would be best if I got rid of all the thistles because of their invasive habits and replace them w/a native alternative....long story shorter...I got rid of a lot of them and the swallowtails went w/them! Now, I am rethinking...maybe I should let the thistle recolonize in patches? Can you control thistle? Is thistle so bad? I am starting some full sun natives (Asclepias, Liatris, Echinacea etcetc) from seed but it's obviously going to be 5 yrs or so before the natives provide what the thistle can provide overnight! It's not as if the thistle is trying to invade a pristine native habitat...the habitat is disturbed and artificial to begin with. What do you think?

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