Identifying Noxious Weeds of Ohio

Bulletin 866-98

Russian Thistle
(Salsola iberica - formerly classified as Salsola kali var. tenuifolia)

Habitat: Dry wastelands or spring-sown field crops during dry seasons. Not common in Ohio.

Life cycle: annual

Growth Habit: 1-2 feet high, multibranched

Leaves: Under 1 inch long, sharp-pointed, awl-shaped, dull-green or grayish. Early leaves are soft and elongated, leaves formed later are short, stiff and prickle-pointed, often turning red. A unique and easy-to-identify weed.

Stem: Becomes stiff and woody with age. At maturity this plant breaks from its root and becomes a tumbleweed, scattering seed across open fields.

Inflorescence: Small flowers lack petals, are red at maturity and located in the upper branches.

The problem is.... seeds are spread by windblown tumbleweeds. It frequents dry habitats and is found more commonly in the west central states.

Russian thistle, a pest of drier areas, has yet to become an established problem in Ohio. * photos courtesy of Arlyn W. Evans, Memphis, TN