I'm definitely in agreement. It looks like something that will never be a problem. WRONG. I've seen it take over areas and obliterate everything else in its path. Bare ground with not a single thing growing except star thistle. Aggressive self-seeding doesn't begin to describe it. Who would ever think that a straggly, ragged thing could cause so much damage. But it does. I was mistaken about its size, since I've only seen it growing in dry fields or abandoned areas where it gets no water. Apparently if it's happy, it can top 5' in height. Our winter storms won't slow it down, since it's thriving in the severe ND and ID climates. People have talked about blister beetles in alfalfa hay. I don't even want to think about star thistle in grass hay, or any other kind of feed. You wouldn't dare use it in cured hay, although goats will eat it when it's green. The crop would have to be destroyed. Probably burned, to keep it from harming anything and to control the seed spread. It's nasty beyond words. I can't remember who said it's been spotted in OK, or where it was, but anyplace at all is too close.. This is what some of the universities say about it. "The Yellow star-thistle plant has the ability to create monotypic stands and habitats in the cultivated soil of fields, graded dirt sites, and disturbed natural ecosystem lands. Its colonization eliminates and prevents other plant species from growing, terminating the habitat's biodiversity. Extensive spreading monotypic fields of yellow starthistle are not uncommon. Its growth plasticity, competitiveness, preference for the Mediterranean climate, and a lack of natural herbivore enemies and co-evolved species, make it a very successful invader. The plant is an invasive pest in field crops, degrades native plant habitats and natural ecosystems, prevents the grazing of domestic animals in rangelands, and is a physical barrier to indigenous animal movement in wildlands." "Yellow starthistle has the potential to dramatically reduce crop and forage production, decrease native plant and wildlife habitat, poison horses, and cause severe economic loss in both crop and wildlands." "Since its introduction to California in the mid-nineteenth century, it has become a large-scale invasive species (noxious weed or invasive exotic) throughout twenty-three states. It currently dominates over 15,000,000 acres in California alone. By 1970, yellow star-thistle had reached 23 U.S. states. According to the USDA Forest Service, as of 2006 the plant has been reported present in 41 of the 48 contiguous U.S. states, with the only exceptions being Maine, Vermont, and five of the Deep South states (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia)." That's 18 more states in only 25 years! It's so noxious that some states have asked farmers and gardeners to call in and report it if they see it growing anyplace at all. Some states have implemented no-cost eradication programs to help farmers deal with it. Here are a couple more photos of it. It doesn't look so harmful, does it? Guess again! Pat

In the first pic there is a sprig of Ivy at 10:00. I am sorry to say it looks like ragweed to me. There may still be some Cosmos coming up, the little almost grassy looking ones. Everything else is a weed. In the second pic apart from the Scabiosa, Daylily and Morning Glory I see only weeds.

There must have been a ragweed that seeded that whole area last year. Your wildflowers look nice,but would really pop if they weren't obscured by all those ragweed mopheads. Those nasty weeds pull out fairly easy.

Just wishful thinking I guess. Virtually everything I’ve inquired about has turned out to be a nightmare requiring, in an ideal world, immediate action. I live several hours drive (in opposite directions) from the two places I garden so it would be nice to be able to let some things be. The problem isn’t that plant in that particular location. It’s that there are boat loads more of it everywhere else. Someone, gardengal48, I think, identified mugwort based on photos I posted earlier of more mature plants, noting its invasive nature and I commented that I have to prioritize. That said, what I meant by my last response was that if it was mugwort I‘d pull it, if it was something wonderful I keep it. Consensus is mugwort, so it’s gone! Ken, my dad and yours must have been buds, because I’m certain many of the problematic plants that are overwhelming my parent’s yard/garden were planted intentionally. I wasn’t giving the plant exalted status, I was just describing it as my mom described it to me. Trust me, when it comes to dealing with problem plants, sentimentality has no influence on me (or mom). Carol23, thanks for the link & photo. The mugwort is in CT, not in NYS, I should have given a location. Thanks all!