GATEHOUSE GLOBE THISTLE

 

Globe Thistle

(Echinops bannaticus)

Ripening her seeds

in the Gatehouse garden 

on Shaw Island,

Reefnet Bay Road, 

San Juan Archipelago, WA.

Summer 2020 

Scientific Name: Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue'

Life cycle: Herbaceous perennial 

Native Range: Central and S.E. Europe; Central Asia

Zone: 3-8

Height: 3'-5'

Bloom time: July to September

Degree of Difficulty: Easy

Water: Needs little to no supplemental water.

Soil: Good drainage is important.

Flower: Upright, showy; good for cutting; good dried, if harvested before the seeds scatter.

Fertilizer: No fertilizer for the Globe Thistle. Plants may flop in conditions too rich.

Attracts: Butterflies, bees, and gardeners. These flowers are an important source of nectar but also provide food as a host plant for painted lady butterflies (see below.)

Tolerates: drought, dry, rocky soil, and deer!!

Growing from seeds: Sow outdoors, where germination will occur naturally in the spring. If starting inside, stratify seeds in the refrigerator for the best germination. Use large cell packs to accommodate the long tap roots that begin to form after germination. The seeds need light to germinate so cover with only a very thin layer of compost.

Notes: This is an eye-catching yet undemanding perennial for the back of a mixed border. Monet grew this at Giverny.

"Painted Lady"
underside

"Painted Lady"
upperside

Gatehouse Globe Thistle
(Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue' )

seed packets coming together for 
purchase this fall.
Gatehouse Seeds, Reefnet Bay Road,
Shaw Island, 
San Juan Archipelago, WA.