I'm only teaseling!

I was wandering about this morning (as you do) wondering what on earth I could use as my blip for today when I came across this Teasel which someone had left on the arm of a park bench. I quickly photographed it and it has earned its place as my blip for today.

In case you don't know what Teasels are, they can be easily identified with their prickly stems and leaves. The first flowers begin opening in late spring and early summer. The dried heads remains afterwards, with the small seeds maturing in mid-autumn. The seeds are an important winter food resource for some birds, particularly the European Goldfinch and they are often grown in gardens and some nature reserves to attract them in. Teasels are considered an invasive species in the United States because they are known to form a monoculture capable of crowding out all native plant species, and therefore is quickly eliminated.