Echinops ritro ruthenicus
Globe Thistle
Description
Echinops ritro is a clump-forming, 4-foot tall plant with golf ball sized blue flower heads atop stiff, rigid stems clad with deeply lobed, dark green, thistle-like foliage. Globular, thistle-like, deep steel blue flower heads (1-2†diameter) bloom at the stem tops in summer. Coarse, spiny, deeply-dissected, gray-green leaves are white tomentose beneath. Basal leaves grow to 6-8†long, but stem leaves grow shorter. -Missouri Botanical Garden
Plant Type
Annual, Wildflower
Height Range
1-3'
Flower Color
Blue
Flower Season
Spring, Summer
Leaf Color
Green, Light Green
Bark Color
n/a
Fruit Color
n/a
Fruit Season
n/a
Sun
Full
Water
Low
Growth Rate
Fast
Soil Type
Sandy, Loam, Rocky
Soil Condition
Average, Well-drained
Soil pH
Neutral
Adverse Factors
Attracts Bees
Design Styles
Meadow, Mediterranean, Ranch, Seascape, Spanish, Wild Garden
Accenting Features
Showy Flowers
Seasonal Interest
Spring, Summer
Location Uses
Entry, Perennial Border, Shrub Border, Foundation, Patio, Roadside, Walls / Fences, Walkways, With Rocks
Special Uses
Container, Erosion Control, Mass Planting
Attracts Wildlife
Butterflies
Change spray sprinklers to low-flow bubbler or drip systems. Shrubs and trees are ideal candidates for this type of irrigation because the water is applied directly to the root zones.