Description
Echinops ritro (Globe Thistle) is a statuesque, robust stalwart of traditional cottage garden and more contemporary structural forms of planting. The jagged leaves take on a silvery hue as the plant matures and give the plant a robust and strong presence in the border. The flowers, which emerge from mid summer onwards, are held atop strong greyish stems in arrays of electric blue globes (hence the common name). As well as being a resilient plant that faces down all sorts of summer weather, the globes die gracefully, giving the whole plant an ensuring structural role as the summer wanes.
These established, garden-ready plants have been grown at our nursery in Cornwall. They will grow to an ultimate height of about 1.2 metres (4 feet) and a spread of around 50cm (about 2 feet). We sell the plants as mature specimens in 2 litre containers.
Growing Advice
Echinops are an archetypal plant for poor soils. They will of course grow in more fertile conditions, but may be a little less robust. They also like sharp drainage and lots of sunshine – or at least an open spot that doesn’t get too much shade. Once the first flush of flowering is mainly over the flowering stems can be cut back to encourage later season flowering.
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