Echinops ritro ‘Veitch’s Blue’ (Globe Thistle)

Considered by most growers as the loveliest Globe Thistle, Echinops ritro ‘Veitch’s Blue’ is an excellent rebloomer that produces abundant, dark violet-blue flowers at the end of gracefully curving, branched, silvery stems. Blooming from mid-summer to early fall, the bold and ornamental, steel blue globe-shaped flowers (the size of a golf ball) rise above the foliage of sharply divided, dark green leaves, covered in down beneath. Adding outstanding contrast, interest, and color to the summer garden while being trouble-free and low maintenance, Globe Thistle makes an invaluable contribution to the landscape. Excellent for cutting, it flowers more than once in a season. Truly lovely and perfectly suited to the perennial border or the cutting garden.

• Grows up to 3-4 ft. tall (90-120 cm) and 18-24 in. across (45-60 cm).
• A full sun lover (partial shade is tolerated), Echinops ritro thrives in poor, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils. Rich soils are to be avoided. Tolerant of hot and humid summers. While moisture is required during its growing season, this plant is drought tolerant thereafter.
• Lovely addition to beds and borders, cottage gardens, wildlife gardens, or gravel gardens.
• Resilient to most pests and diseases, deer and rabbit resistant, this is a real magnet for bees or butterflies.
• Propagate by seed sown in a seed bed in mid-spring. Propagate by division in spring or autumn. Propagate by root cuttings in winter
• Deadhead to prevent self-seeding. Flowers are excellent for dried arrangements. Cut them before they open and dry them upside down.