Commonly known as milk thistle, compass plant, and scarole
Introduced from Europe, prickly lettuce is a common weed of roadsides, waster areas, gardens and cultivated land. Prickly lettuce is commonly used as a salad addition although it may be bitter if eaten raw. It is the closest known wild relative of agriculturally grown lettuce.
Chemical control can be somewhat difficult in its later stages. The early stages can be controlled with selective and non-selective herbicides alike. However, once the plant has flowered it may take several rounds of a non-selective herbicide to fully dispose of the plant.
