ECHINOPS ritro Globe Thistle ____________________________________ Type: Perennial Height: 3-4' (90-120cm) Flowering Time: Summer Flower Colour: Blue ____________________________________ Botanical Classification: Class: Angiospermae (Angiosperms) Subclass: Dicotyledonae (Dicotyledons) Superorder: Asteridae (Daisy Superorder) Order: Asterales (Daisy Order) Family: Asteraceae (Daisy Family) Genus: Echinops (Globe Thistle) Species: ritro ____________________________________

Echinops ritro is a very useful ground-cover plant. Although it is deciduous, it quickly produces a large basal rosette of pale green prickly leaves which are grey underneath, and in late summer bears strong stems three or more feet high topped with soft steely blue spiky balls composed of many individual starry flowers each in a ribbed calyx.

These can be dried for use in dried-flower arrangements, but need to be picked before they are past their best, as otherwise they do not dry well.

____________________________________

Harvesting and Growing from Seed:

	Seed Pod There is no seed pod. The flower head becomes a prickly seed head, with each individual flower producing a stiff spiky calyx holding the seed.
	Seed The seeds are smooth brown oblongs. Each separate calyx on the seedhead holds one woody seed, so the seedhead holds many seeds.
	Seedling The seedling is large, and the first true leaf is long and thin.
Seed sowing and Germination Autumn: Seeds sown outside in autumn germinated in 5 days.