Spotted Knapweed is an invasive plant that grows along road beds, railroad tracks and drier areas that have been disturbed. The flower has petals that are pink to pale purple, occasionally white, with bracts below the flowerhead, that have bristles with dark spots on them, which provide the name for this wildflower. They grow up to three or four feet tall. All the photos here were taken at Gibson Prairie on September 17, 2026.