Prickly lettuce (commonly known here as milk thistle) is the closest wild ancestor of cultivated garden lettuce.

The happy little yellow flowers are among the wildflowers that are currently greeting me from alongside our walking paths.

Considered a weed, and dealt with aggressively by home owners, gardeners, and farmers, this plant can enjoy an undisturbed life in the two nature habitats south and west of the city.

Photo Note: The original photo was a bit blown out from the morning sun, so in post processing I added a portrait filter to deepen the colours and then added some vignette to make the flowers stand out.

“But what attracted me to weeds was not their beauty, but their resilience. I mean, despite being so widely despised, so unloved, killed with every chance we get, they are so pervasive, so seemingly invincible.”

Carol Vorvain