Globe Thistle Blue Seeds – Heirloom Perennial Classic
- Ontario Grown
$2.20
SKU: GS-9127-GLO-DT
- Free shipping on orders over $50
- Organicly grown
- Non GMO
Description
Echinops 'Ritro Blue' (Echinops ritro), commonly known as Globe Thistle, is a striking open-pollinated perennial heirloom prized for its bold architectural structure and metallic steel-blue spherical flower heads. Growing into sturdy clumps 3 to 4 feet tall, it features deeply lobed, spiny dark green foliage with silver-white undersides. In mid to late summer, hundreds of tiny, violet-blue starry florets open simultaneously across perfectly round, golf-ball-sized globes. Highly resilient, drought-tolerant, and exceptionally attractive to pollinators, Ritro Blue brings unique texture to garden borders, cut flower arrangements, and dried floral crafts.
Spécifications
- Plant Name: Echinops 'Ritro Blue' / Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro)
- Cultivar Type: Heirloom, Open-Pollinated
- Plant Class: Warm-Season Herbaceous Perennial / Flowering Garden Ornamental
- Color: Metallic steel-blue to violet-blue flower globes, silver-green spiny foliage
- Plant Characteristics: Upright clumping habit (36–48 inches tall / 90–120 cm), spherical 1.5-inch flower heads, spiny thistle-like leaves, deep taproot, high pollinator magnet capability
- Suitable Space: Perennial borders, gravel gardens, cottage plots, cut flower rows, dry sunny slopes
- Season: Midsummer through Early Autumn Bloom (Perennial, Zone 3–9 Hardiness)
- Best Time for Sowing (Zone 6b): Start seeds indoors February through March 8 to 10 weeks before last spring frost (sow 0.25 inches deep). Direct sow outdoors late May after frost danger passes. Cold stratify seeds in refrigerator 7 to 14 days prior to sowing to improve germination rates. Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart.
- Sunlight: Full Sun (6+ hours direct sunlight daily required for strong stems, vivid blue coloration)
- Watering Needs: Low to Moderate (drought-tolerant once established; thrives in average to lean, well-drained soil, avoiding soggy root conditions)
- Lis Plus Moins
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