Echinops
Globe thistle
- Height × spread
- 0.2m – 6m × 0.3m – 4m
- Position
- Full sun
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
The globe thistles are grown for their rounded heads of flowers in shades of blue and white. The heads are made up of many small individual flowers and are much loved by bees. The long flowering stalks rise from foliage that is often slightly spiny, hardly noticeable when the plants are in flower. It is modestly attractive out of flower. These make good garden plants though they do tend to take up a fair amount of space when established. The tallest Echinops giganteus reaches around 5 metres in height, but a number of other forms are a more modest 60cm. These plants are happy in poor soil and can take dry conditions.
- Flower colour
- Blue, Grey, Lilac, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, White
- Foliage colour
- Gold, Green, White
- Fruit colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- Yes, some varieties
- Shape
- Bell, Column, Cone, Dome, Round
- Height
- 0.2m – 6m
- Spread
- 0.3m – 4m
- Season of interest
- Summer, Autumn
- Evergreen
- Evergreen
- Garden style
- Small scale garden, Seaside garden, Prairie garden, Indoors, Gravel garden, Cottage garden, Conservatory
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun, likes part shade, tolerates light shade
- Soil type
- All types
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Well drained soil, Dry soil, Drought resistant
- Winter hardiness
- Varies, some are not hardy
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant, Bee attraction, Butterfly attraction, Bird attraction
- Maintenance
- Easycare – low/no maintenance
- Hazards
- No
Spring
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water in dry periods
Established plants in the ground can cope with 7-10 days of dryness, and shrubs often manage 2 to 3 weeks. Water one section of the garden thoroughly each day rather than a little everywhere. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather.
Planting & general
Outdoors
Feed & mulch some rose varieties differently
To keep roses healthy and produce more flowers, feed during the growing season before and after flowering. Roses in containers should be fed more often than those planted in the ground, every two weeks from mid spring to late summer. Adding a mulch around the base of a rose will trap moisture and enrich the soil as it biodegrades.
Outdoors
Water some varieties differently
Some plants within this genus have additional requirements for water. It is best to look up your specific plant, or the species it belongs to for watering guidance.
Planting
Prune some varieties
Some plants within this genus have additional requirements for pruning. It is best to look up your specific plant, or the species it belongs to for pruning guidance.
Planting
Divide some varieties differently
Some plant varieties within this genus have different requirements for dividing them when they get big. It is best to look up your specific plant, or the species it belongs to for guidance, and/or check the label.
Compost · Planting
Cactus compost for repotting
Use standard cactus compost. Top the soil with grit or granite chips to ensure perfect drainage around plant stem. Repot when the plant is dry and delay watering for 3 days after repotting.
You can also make own compost using 3 parts John Innes no. 2, 1 part horticultural grit, and 1 part horticultural grade perlite or pumice. There are many 'recipes' available and opinions vary widely - consult specialist literature or websites.
Found in
More Echinops
Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue'
Blue globe thistle
Echinops ritro
Steel globe thistle, Small globe thistle, Southern globethistle
Echinops ritro 'Veitch's Blue'
Steel globe thistle, Small globe thistle, Southern globethistle
Echinops ritro subsp. ruthenicus
Steel globe thistle, Small globe thistle, Southern globethistle
Echinops sphaerocephalus 'Arctic Glow'
Steel globe thistle, Small globe thistle