Another one of those “I would never have planted it myself but now I love it!”-plants. I dislike the feel of prickly plants, that’s the main reason I never before considered Echinops for my various gardens. But since it was already here I let it be – and fell in love. Its blue color is incredible, one of the bluest blues I’ve ever seen. It’s ballshaped flowers are very decorative and it is a favorite with butterflies.
Im’ actually not sure whether it’s an Echinops ritro or bannaticus in my garden. Judging from the starry little flowers it maybe a bannaticus but besides the size there’s not that much difference between the two. Echinops originally comes from Central Asia but today is found all over Western Asia as well as Eastern, Southern, and Central Europe. In the UK and US it is an introduced species and not invasive. It grows naturally on rocky slopes and grasslands between 100 and 800 meters.
Echinops is a very robust and undemanding plant, tolerating drought as well as frost, dry as well as humid soil. In my low-altitude mediterranean garden it blooms only from the beginning of June through the beginning of July before drying up during the hottest months. The leaves grow back in fall and winter. So far it has not reseeded itself, which it normally could and should.
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