Landscape Ideas from Me

Globe Thistle

Echinops
A genus of erect, perennial plants bearing prickly, globular, metallic blue flower heads during the summer. The foliage is deeply lobed or divided and is typically deep green above and silvery-white below.
Generally hardy zones 3 to 8 in full sun on just about any well drained soil. Very tolerant of poor soil and drought, however wet soil kills. They may also grow lanky and need to be staked if the soil is too fertile.
Cutting them back to basal foliage clump immediately after blooming may encourage a second flush of blooms. Pests and disease problems are rare though aphids may occasionally occur.
Can be propagated by seed, root cuttings or division every 3 to 4 years during autumn or spring.

* photo taken on June 30 2013 @ U.S. National Arboretum, DC


Echinops banaticus
A large perennial native to eastern Europe ( Czech to Greece ) that can reach up to 7 x 4.3 feet.
The angular lobed leaves can reach up to 14 inches in length.
The finely hairy foliage is deep green.
The profuse, steel-blue globular flowers can be up to 2 inches in width.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in full sun to partial shade.

Echinops giganteus
"Echinops on Steroids" reaching a maximum size of 15 x 3 feet, with leaves, up to 18 inches in length.

Echinops ritro
An exotic looking perennial reaching up to 5 x 3 feet that is native to southern and eastern Europe. The narrow, deeply lobed, triangular leaves are up to 9 or rarely 15 inches in length. The foliage is glossy above and downy belowy.
The steel blue globular flowers are up to 2 inches in width.
The stems are woolly.

* photo taken on August 3 2010 @ University of Guelph Arboretum, Ontario

* photo taken on Aug 20 2011 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD

* photo taken on Aug 2 2013 in Stratford, Ontario

* photo taken on Aug 2 2013 in Goderich, Ontario


Blue Globe
Reaching up to 7 x 3 feet with many deep blue globes, up to 2.5 inches across, on branched stems all summer long. Hardy north to zone 2

Taplow Blue
A summer bloomer with bright blue globes up to 3 inches on stems up to 6 feet in height. Has few spines.

Veitchs Blue
Reaches up to 4 x 3 feet with sturdier stems and more glaucous leaves up to 14 inches in length. It flowers much more abundantly than Taplow Blue

Echinops ruthenicus
Reaching up to 50 inches x 3 feet, it is similar to Echinops ritro and is sometimes considered to be a subspecies of it. The leaves are armed with small spines and are woolly white beneath.
The flowerheads are steel blue.

Echinops sphaerocephalus
A large perennial native to central Europe that can reach up to 8 x 3 feet.
The deeply lobed leaves, up to 14 inches in length, are armed with small spines.
The foliage is downy above, white hairy beneath.
The flowerheads, up to 2 + inches across, are white to very pale gray.

Arctic Glow
A unique form with mahogany red stems and large white ball shaped flowers that contrasts with silvery-green foliage. Reaches up to 6 x 3 feet.