White wood asters, Eurybia divaricata, are native perennials in the Asteraceae family, which also includes chrysanthemums, coneflowers, and sunflowers.We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If
06.06.2023 - 18:15 / gardenerspath.com / Nan Schiller
How to Grow and Care for Small Globe Thistle Echinops ritroSmall globe thistle, Echinops ritro, is a perennial member of the Asteraceae family that includes sunflowers, daisies, globe artichokes, and asters. It is suited to cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8.
Also called Southern globe thistle, this flower is native to Europe and Asia. Its most noteworthy features are its blue to blue-purple color, tall stature, and prickly foliage.
Cultivated varieties expand the color palette to include white.
The Echinops genus is a broad one containing many species, including the blue, E. bannaticus; great, E. sphaerocephalus; and tall, E. exaltatus, varieties.
The most noteworthy differences among them are color, size of the flower heads, and height.
We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
Some are naturalized across the US, most notably E. sphaerocephalus, which is considered to be a noxious weed in Illinois.
Read on for everything you need to know to grow small globe thistle,E. ritro, in your gardens.
Let’s get started!
Cultivation and HistorySmall globe thistle, aka Southern globe thistle, is a sturdy and attractive clumping plant.
Its compact, globe-like flower heads measure approximately one and a half to two inches across, or about the size of a golf ball. Each is made up of many tiny star-like blooms.
Flowers are available in shades of blue and white, and perch atop upright stems. The leaves are deeply serrated and gray-green. Mature heights range from 36 to 48 inches, and widths from 24 to 30 inches.
Be sure to wear gloves when handling plants because the foliage has prickly spines.
E. ritro is a mid to late summer bloomer.
Flower heads run to seed after
White wood asters, Eurybia divaricata, are native perennials in the Asteraceae family, which also includes chrysanthemums, coneflowers, and sunflowers.We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If
Borago officinalis, commonly known as borage or starflower, is one of a host of herbs with origins in the Mediterranean region.It’s a member of the Boraginaceae family of plants, wh
Balloon flower, Platycodon grandiflorus, is a native of the Russian Far East, China, Japan, and Korea that has become a garden sensation in the United States.A member of the Campanulaceae family that includes bellflower
The aster is a sturdy-stemmed flowering perennial known for its masses of small daisy-like blossoms.There are numerous aster species in several genera within the Asteraceae family that contains chrysanthemums, daisie
Calico aster, Symphyotrichum lateriflorum, formerly Aster lateriflorus, is a native perennial flower that blooms from midsummer to mid-fall.It rejuvenates fall gardens with masses of tiny white blossoms, with striking reddish-purple to
Bachelor’s button, Centaurea cyanus, is a European wildflower that has naturalized across the United States. It is a member of the Asteraceae family that includes asters, chicory, daisies, mums, sunflowers, and yarrow.It’s a vigorous plant commonly found growing among the grain crops in farmer
Columbine, or Aquilegia, is an intriguing member of the Ranunculaceae family with exquisite petals that give it an ephemeral quality, like a briefly glimpsed hummingbird.It is an herbaceous perennial that blooms from sp
Dame’s rocket, Hesperis matronalis, is a fragrant, edible member of the Brassicaceae family of plants, which includes arugula, broccoli, and mustard.Native to Europe and Asia, it was originally brought to
Perennial asters are members of the large Asteraceae family of plants that includes chrysanthemums, daisies, and sunflowers.And while many have a bushy growth habit, only on
For an ornamental highlight in late spring to early summer, fill your garden beds and borders with the luscious blossoms of perennial peony (Paeonia spp.).The Paeonia genus is the only one in the Paeoniaceae family
For large, showy spring flowers in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11, you can’t beat the hand-sized, lily-like blooms of amaryllis, Hippeastrum x hybridum.These tropical beauties can also be forced to bloom indoors
Baby’s breath spirea,Spiraea thunbergii, is an ornamental woody shrub in the Rosaceae family. It has gracefully arching stems and slender, slightly-serrated lanceolate leaves.The ‘Ogon’ cultivar, S. thumbergii ‘Ogon’, aka Mellow Yellow, is noteworthy for its early spring bloom