Oh THANK you!!!!! We've been trying to figure this out on the Butterfly forum and no one had an idea. I hope you both have a wonderful weekend!

Thank-you for your input! We have zebra swallowtails that go for the paw paws and spicebush swallowtails that go for the spicebushes and a scattering of the tiger swallowtails that seem ok w/the dogbane and another plant whose name escapes me but there were literally clouds of tigers when the thistle was everywhere....hoping to bring them back so I will get some Zizia seeds and try some C. discolor. We are overrun w/tulip poplars (my 8 yr old calls them tulip populars :) and I have a weakness for sassafras...though they don't seem to live very long around here. I will carry on the war against C. arvense...I shall not give in to tiger swallowtail temptation!

No it's not a Sow Thistle. Can't name it or the smaller ones because a. they're tiny and b. I don't know the flora of Qatar. But in that quantity they are likely to be blow ins. If you can post when they're bigger maybe we can stand a chance at id. It would also be helpful if you could tell us what you sowed so we can eliminate them from enquiries. I'm still curious about what you medium are growing in. It looks like home made compost in which case it could have all sorts of weeds in it.

Xiangirl, that's a great idea -- to pinch them back. I wish I'd thought of that. Next year, for sure, as I imagine its too late for this season. I have an old fashion, single pink perennial mum that I try to remember to pinch back in early July for otherwise it gets very lanky. That mum begins to bloom in October and goes until snow or a hard frost knocks it down. It's one of the few things blooming in late October. Pollinators love it. I'd be happy to send you some if you don't already have it.