Teasel Elimination

Now is the Time to Eliminate Teasel from Your Property

Teasel is a highly invasive plant that has taken over many roadsides and green spaces in Long Grove and surrounding communities. One teasel plant drops thousands of seeds, overcrowding and smothering native plants, grasses, and wildflowers that help feed our natural wildlife. For years now, teasel has been spreading, resulting in a threatening monoculture on roadsides and within conservancies, preserves, and more. 

Spring is when highly invasive teasel rosettes begin to green up and start growing, well before other plants. It’s easier to find and ‘spot treat’ teasel rosettes on your property, without harming other species of plants that are still dormant. You can spot spray the rosette with a 2,4-D herbicide, that can be found at stores like Menards. The rosettes can also be dug up using a dandelion digger, but it is important to get as much of the root as possible to prevent resprouting since teasel roots can be up to two feet long! Securely bag and dispose of the rosettes to prevent them from re-rooting. Plant native grasses or flowers in the space where you cleared out teasel rosettes, filling it before existing teasel seeds in the dirt start to germinate.

The Long Grove Park District has been and will continue to eradicate teasel on State and County roads within Long Grove, as well as on Park District properties. Although the teasel seed bank in these treated areas is somewhat diminished year after year, there is existing seed in the ground, and new seed is being brought in by mowing equipment, wind, and from untreated teasel on private property. With your help in addressing the teasel on your property, we can all continue to deplete the teasel seed bank, and eventually win the war against this invasive plant.  

For more information, visit lgparks.org or email stopteasel@lgparks.org and you will receive a response with answers to any questions you might have on how to identify, treat and remove teasel.

Written by: Janet Healy 

Daily Herald February 2021 article on Long Grove Park District's fight against teasel (Clickable Link)