**Description:** A biennial plant famous for its prickly, egg-shaped seed heads that turn brown and persist throughout the winter.
**Size:** Grows 3 to 7 feet tall.
**Identification:** Features opposite leaves that fuse at the base to form a "cup" around the stem. Tiny lavender flowers bloom in a band around the middle.
**History:** The dried heads were traditionally used in textile factories to "tease" or raise the nap on wool cloth.
**Habitat:** Disturbed soils, old fields, and rocky log landings.