Globe Thistle – Echinops bannaticus (E. ritro), E. spp.

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Globe Thistle – Echinops bannaticus (E. ritro), E. spp.

Common Name: Globe Thistle

Botanical Name: Echinops bannaticus (E. ritro), E. spp., EK-i-nops ba-NAT-i-cus

Decorative Life: 6-12 days.

Flower Color:

Availability: ,

Harvest Instructions:

Harvest when approximately 50% of the flowers are open.

Family Roots:
  • Member of the Asteraceae or Compositae (aster or sunflower) family.
  • Native to Southeastern Europe, Czechoslovakia.
  • Related species include chrysanthemum, dahlia, marigold, zinnia, lettuce.
Personality:
  • Ball-shaped flower heads are 2 inches in diameter, composed of steel blue bristle-like bracts and blue feathery flowers.
  • Stems are 24-36 inches long, above clumps of spiny, divided leaves.
  • Plant is a herbaceous perennial, classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined.
  • Flowers are not fragrant.
Storage Specifics:

40F, 7-10 days in water.

Tidbits:
  • From the Greek “echinos” (a hedgehog) and “ops” (appearance), referring to the spiny flower heads.
  • ‘Taplow Blue’ is a very popular cultivar with very intense blue flower heads.
  • The Compositae or aster family is vast, with over 20,000 species, and is also one of the most developed families. It was named Compositae because the flowers are actually a “composite” of many individual flowers into one head. Hence, when children pull one “petal” off at a time, saying “she/he loves me, loves me not”, they are actually removing a complete flower, not just a petal.
  • Suitable for drying if harvested before full bloom.