star thistle
noun
1
: a widely naturalized spiny Old World knapweed (Centaurea calcitrapa) with purple flowers
called also caltrops
2
: any of various knapweeds related to the star thistle
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web One of the non-alcoholic beverages showcasing a syrup made from local star thistle honey is made from a 3rd generation beekeeper nearby. 
Beck Bamberger, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2021 Our 10 acres of oak woodland also were just grasses and invasive species, mainly star thistle, with only a few majestic native black and white oaks. Sally Peterson, oregonlive, 26 Apr. 2021 The surrounding hills, once thick with yellow star thistle where the bees gathered pollen, were stone gray and barren from the Hennessey Fire. Nora Mishanec, SFChronicle.com, 28 Nov. 2020 At the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, Hankins has researched the effect of Indigenous prescribed burning practices on an area that was dominated by star thistle and other invasive plants. Ula Chrobak, Scientific American, 24 Nov. 2020 However, environmental groups and scientists are now warning that brush removal projects may actually exacerbate the risk of fire by inadvertently helping to spread invasive grasses such as black mustard, star thistle and ripgut grass. Joshua Emerson Smith, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2019 However, environmental groups and scientists are now warning that brush-removal projects may actually exacerbate the risk of fire by inadvertently helping to spread invasive grasses, such as black mustard, star thistle and ripgut bromus. San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Sep. 2019 Working Dogs for Conservation has trained dogs to find spotted knapweed in Montana, Chinese bush clover in Iowa, yellow star thistle in Colorado, rosy wolf snails in Hawaii and brown tree snakes in Guam. Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2019 See More
Beck Bamberger, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2021 Our 10 acres of oak woodland also were just grasses and invasive species, mainly star thistle, with only a few majestic native black and white oaks. Sally Peterson, oregonlive, 26 Apr. 2021 The surrounding hills, once thick with yellow star thistle where the bees gathered pollen, were stone gray and barren from the Hennessey Fire. Nora Mishanec, SFChronicle.com, 28 Nov. 2020 At the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, Hankins has researched the effect of Indigenous prescribed burning practices on an area that was dominated by star thistle and other invasive plants. Ula Chrobak, Scientific American, 24 Nov. 2020 However, environmental groups and scientists are now warning that brush removal projects may actually exacerbate the risk of fire by inadvertently helping to spread invasive grasses such as black mustard, star thistle and ripgut grass. Joshua Emerson Smith, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2019 However, environmental groups and scientists are now warning that brush-removal projects may actually exacerbate the risk of fire by inadvertently helping to spread invasive grasses, such as black mustard, star thistle and ripgut bromus. San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Sep. 2019 Working Dogs for Conservation has trained dogs to find spotted knapweed in Montana, Chinese bush clover in Iowa, yellow star thistle in Colorado, rosy wolf snails in Hawaii and brown tree snakes in Guam. Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2019 See More Word History
First Known Use
1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1