Small globe thistle

Echinops ritro

Architectural southern European perennial with deeply cut spiny grey-green leaves and steel-blue spherical flower heads on tall stems in midsummer.

Hardiness ratings

Small globe thistle hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 3–9 −40 °C to −1.1 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H7 down to −20 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 3–8 −34 °C to −1 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 2–6 −10 °C to 15 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Flowers July–August — peak midsummer marker
  • Outstanding bee forage — flower heads buzz audibly with bumblebees at peak flowering
  • Drought tolerant — excellent for hot dry borders and gravel gardens
  • Architectural seed heads persist into autumn

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Small globe thistle against your zones

Reference

Small globe thistle on Wikipedia