Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is an aggressive, creeping perennial weed that infests crops, pastures, rangeland, roadsides and noncrop areas. Generally, infestations start on disturbed ground, including ditch banks, overgrazed pastures, tilled fields or abandoned sites. Canada thistle reduces forage consumption in pastures and rangeland because cattle typically will not graze near infestations. Canada thistle is a creeping perennial that reproduces from vegetative buds in its root system and from seed. It is difficult to control because its extensive root system allows it to recover from control attempts. Combining control methods is the best form of Canada thistle management. Persistence is imperative so the weed is continually stressed, forcing it to exhaust root nutrient stores and eventually die.