In Montana, Spotted Knapweed is one of our weeds that rapidly takes over hillsides, dry areas, and grows where most other cultivated plants don't do well.  It turns our hillsides purple, especially during the dry part of our summer season.  No one views its invasion into natural and wild lands as useful.  Yet, it produces a large honey crop of white honey - although the honey crystallizes readily.  Some have tried to blame beekeepers for spreading it, but I believe it's the hay brought in from other areas that is a major part of the introductions.  Certainly, guides haul hay deep into our wilderness areas, and one can see how the seed gets transported into these areas.

A former Univ of MT forestry specialist found that although cows won't eat the mature plant, it makes a good and nutritious silage that cows readily eat.  The best control for it that we've found are sheep - who  like the emergent plants.  In Missoula, our hillsides and riparian areas have been dramatically cleaned up by a sheep herder and flock hired to work these areas as part of the weed control program.  Our Forestry scientist repeatedly read that Knapweed honey tasted bad - so I conducted a blind test with him, having him taste several honeys.  It has a bit of an herbal taste.  My friend picked the knapweed as his favorite, based on taste.  

He always said, Knapweed was a perfect crop - hardy, easy to grow, high yield (silage and honey) - just wasn't the crop anyone wanted to see taking over everything.  It's big, purple, bit spiny, and somewhat like tumble-weeds.  It changes the appearance of any area where it takes hold, and it's hard to control, get rid of.  His definition of a weed - anything that grows where we (humans) don't want it.


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