Up to 4 ft. tall, green to brown, branched at the top and usually lacks hair (glabrous)
Alternate, oblong or lance-shaped, 2-8 in. long, shiny and lack hair; NO leaf stems (petioles); leaf edges (margins) are wavy, lobed or toothed with spiny edges
Pink, purple or white; occur in clusters at the ends of branches; base of flower is vase-shaped, 0.5-0.75 in. wide, lacks prickles and is covered with green to purple bracts with dark tips
Deep, extensive creeping root system
Grows best in moist areas; often found in pastures, hay fields, waste areas and along waterways; known to occur in all Nevada counties except Esmeralda
Repeated mowing, tillage, cutting or hand removal prior to seed production can provide suppression
Several biological control agents are available
Apply picloram, aminopyralid or clopyralid to actively growing plants through flowering; repeated applications of 2,4-D, dicamba or glyphosate to actively growing plants