Echinops ritro ruthenicus

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Globe Thistle

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Information by: Acacia Garden Solutions Photographer:

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 (1-2â€ diameter) bloom at the stem tops in summer. Coarse, spiny, deeply-dissected, gray-green leaves are white tomentose beneath. Basal leaves grow to 6-8â€ 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

Water Saving Tip:

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.