It is a weed that is dangerous to farm animals due to the presence of strong toxins – alkaloids. The field milk thistle is a perennial plant. In cultivated green areas, it competes very strongly for water and nutrients from the soil. It is found in cultivated fields as well – it can emerge as a result of long-term use of direct sowing. It prefers heavy, clay soils and sandy-clay soils with a high nutrient content, especially looking for nitrogen. A high level of expansion is recorded for potato, beet and maize crops. An individual plant may grow up to 1.5 metres in height.

The field milk thistle blossoms between June and October. Effective control of the weed is effected with the use of appropriately selected herbicides. However, spray treatment is not the only solution. One needs to care for the purity of the sown material and mechanically remove the weed before it is able to develop.