Wikimedia Commons
Asteraceae
Globe Thistle
Echinops ritro
Independence, strength, protection.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Echinops
- Native to
- Europe, western Asia
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- Herbaceous perennial
- Height
- 60–120 cm
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Low; drought-tolerant
- Hardiness
- 3–8
- Lifespan
- Long-lived perennial
Did you know
- The perfectly round, spiky steel-blue flower heads look almost mechanical — like little astronomical instruments perched on stems.
- The genus name Echinops comes from the Greek echinos (hedgehog) and ops (face), describing the bristly globes.
- Each globe is actually made of dozens of individual tubular flowers, and bumblebees go absolutely wild for them.
- It's one of the best dried flowers in the world — globes hold their color and shape for years if cut just before fully opening.
- Despite the name, it's not a true thistle; it's a relative of daisies and sunflowers in the aster family.
Color meanings
Blue
Resilience