Globe thistle

Globe thistle is one of the most elegantly colored plants around. It has fantastical large blue balls of steel-blue flowers in midsummer, which would be enough. But making it even more lovely is its large coarse, grayish green leaves, which sets off the flower beautifully.

If you can bear to separate them from the foliage, globe thistle makes a great cut flower, lasting for weeks in the vase. It also dries well. It's bothered by few pests or diseases. If it likes its conditions, it will reseed fairly readily. If you want to prevent this, deadhead flowers shortly after they fade.

Light:

Sun

Zones:

3-10

Plant Type:

Perennial

Plant Height:

2-4 feet tall

Plant Width:

1-2 feet wide

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders

Special Features:

Flowers,Cut Flowers,Dried Flowers,Attracts Butterflies,Drought Tolerant,Deer Resistant,Easy to Grow

Top Varieties

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Blue Glow globe thistle

(Echinops bannaticus 'Blue Glow') is a seed propagated variety that grows 4 feet tall with deep blue globes of flowers in midsummer. Zones 5-9
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Small globe thistle

(Echinops ritro) grows 2 to 3 feet tall. Its silvery leaves resemble those of a thistle. Spiny globe-shaped flowers open slivery blue and mature to bright blue. Cut them just before they fully open to dry them. Zones 3-9
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Garden Plans

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Beautiful Blues Garden Plan
Hot-Color, Heat-Resistant Garden Plan

Plant It With

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Coneflower

The steely blue of globe thistle makes a colorful partner for pinkish purple coneflower flowers.

Coreopsis

The airy yellow flowers of Moonbeam coreopsis team beautifully with globe thistle. Plant them around the base of globe thistle to help cover its foliage that fades away in late summer.

Yarrow

The blue of globe thistle really pops when paired with creamy yellow Moonshine yarrow and deep yellow Cloth of Gold yarrow.

Propagation

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Seed
Division