With a vibrant yellow crown of petals atop an array of one-inch purplish spines, yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) is the most common exotic plant in California, covering some 15 million acres (Pitcairn et.al. 2006). During the dry summer months, its colors fade and the plant becomes dangerously combustible — a fuel for wildfires. Able to thrive in the disturbed soils of agricultural lands, this invasive releases a toxin that deters native plant growth and has deep tap roots that rob other plants of water. It also spreads very rapidly. MORE
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