raising spiky heads

raising spiky heads

above the turkey foot grass

a brigade of teasel

On a walk around Bonnefield Lake, in the prairie restoration area I come across a small patch of teasel in bloom. The flowering heads look like Dr. Seuss characters, with spiky hair and frilly white bands on top of stiff collars. On some flower heads, the blossoms are growing on top, while on others they form one or two bands. From the dried flowers, it appears that they emerge in the middle and grow up and down. Honeybees are busy gathering nectar from the tiny tubular blossoms. The spiny stalks stand nearly twice my height. Along each stalk march pairs of lance-like leaves, which form a cup where they meet. The cups collects rainwater and act as insect traps, though I can't imagine an aphid attempting to suck sap from the rigid stems and prickly leaves. In one cup I find a miniature flower head, like an untouchable baby in an impregnable cradle.
          Cut-leaved teasel (Dipsacus laciniatus) is a perennial herb that flowers once and then dies. The first year it forms a low-growing rosette and the following year it becomes a 3-8 foot (1-1.5 meter) stem. Each head produces massive amounts of small seeds, which are eaten by birds, especially goldfinches. Historically, the dried seed heads were used in textile weaving as a comb for "teasing," that is, cleaning, aligning and raising the nap of wool cloth. A tincture of the root is widely used as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic in the treatment of Lyme Disease, arthritis, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. 
          However, teasel is an invasive plant that threatens prairies in the Midwest. The seeds can lie dormant in the soil and then sprout. In order to rid an area of teasel, the first-year rosettes may be dug up, making sure to include the entire root. The stalks may be cut down, but only after they have begun flowering to prevent new flowering stalks. Even after cutting, the seeds will continue to mature, so the cut stalks must be removed. Another good reason to conduct a controlled prairie burn every few years.