Stunning and stately Echinops Ritro has violet-blue blooms fashioned from many individual starry flowers. Loved by all sorts of pollinators, these flowers form perfect spheres that give this plant its alternative name of Globe Thistle. The prickly dark green leaves with their whiter undersides are low-growing with the flowering stems reaching upwards above them
🌸 Flowering: July to August
📏 Height: 90 to 120cm sometimes more
🌿 Perennial
💧 Drought tolerant once established
Sow: in April and May in a seed tray, cover with perlite or vermiculite & place in a cold frame. Germination takes 2-3 weeks. As the seedlings grow, prick out into individual pots and grow on until ready for planting out by September or October. Overwinter autumn sowings and plant out after frost danger is over.
Grow: these are undemanding plants. Space them at 50-60cm apart. They’re best in poor, well-drained soil in full sun, but in reality they can cope with partial shade! They usually flower from their second year. If you cut them down after the first flush of flowers they can produce more flowers later in the year.
Enjoy: this is a plant that won’t outstay its welcome. It’s a clump-forming perennial that will expand slightly each year. Eventually you can divide them in spring or early autumn to rejuvenate the clump and grow elsewhere. And you can play with planting combinations such as Echinacea for a warm daisy contrast, Achillea for flat-topped flowers to contrast with the spheres and Eryngium that reinforces the bold, spiky and drought-tolerant architectural side.
🏡 In your garden
• Coastal and gravel gardens
• Cottage and informal gardens
• Urban spaces
• Flower borders and beds
• Pollinator plantings
• Cutting gardens
✂️ Cut flower
• Fresh vase life of 10-15 days
• A good choice for drying. This preserves the colour and the striking, architectural round shape for long-lasting autumn wreaths and winter displays
• For the best results, cut when the heads turn blue, but before the tiny individual florets open. Strip off the leaves as they become crinkled and brittle. Dry upright or hang upside down in a dark, warm, dry place
🐝 Pollinator friendly
• RHS Plants for Pollinators recommended
• Very good for bumblebees and other summer pollinators
🐞 Wildlife friendly
- Small seed-eating birds may feed on the mature seeds left on the dry stems
⚠️ CAUTION
Prickly when mature, so best to wear gloves when cutting
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