cutleaf teasel, Dipsacus laciniatus

On the west side of town we are bypassed by the US-223 highway. The south mile of that is a pleasant drive through woods as it approaches the River Raisin. Years ago invasive shrubs began taking over that understory and the road margin. More recently the highway people sent in scrapers to remove those invaders. All that bare and disturbed ground? The cutleaf invaders loved it. Now we have a mess of cutleaf teasel, crowding out our natives. And so do CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, VA, WI, WV, and ON. Lenawee Co MI, 7/25/11. Teasel family, Dipsacaceae.