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Description

There's something truly captivating about Echinops ritro, known as the Small Globe Thistle. From midsummer, strong stems rise above jagged foliage, carrying spherical flowers that flash in a rare metallic blue. These spiky orbs add impact, drawing the eye and bringing a designer's touch to any border.

The flowers aren't just beautiful, they're also invaluable for wildlife. An RHS recommended 'Plant for Pollinators', bees and butterflies find the nectar irresistible, so every plant hums with activity throughout summer. As the blooms fade, they leave behind sculptural seedheads that stand right through the colder months, catching frost and snow for a striking winter display. Indoors, those same heads make superb cut flowers, whether fresh or dried.

Once established, it copes admirably with drought, thriving in hot, dry or poor soils where fussier plants would struggle. It's fully hardy, resilient and reliably returns year after year, each time with stronger growth and more flowers. For busy gardeners, it offers maximum reward for minimal effort.

These clump-forming perennials slot neatly into the middle of borders, pairing beautifully with echinacea, rudbeckia, ornamental grasses and dahlias. Their bold shapes provide the perfect contrast against softer flowers, creating that sought-after naturalistic look that garden designers love.

Supplied as a set of 10 bare roots, ready to plant.

Top Tips

Plant Echinops in groups for maximum effect. The metallic-blue globes look astonishing in drifts and create a real designer's look, while pollinators won't be able to resist.

Care Information

On Arrival:

Open your package straight away and check the bare roots.
Soak them in a bucket of clean, cool water for 2-3 hours to rehydrate before planting.
If you can't plant immediately, wrap the roots in damp newspaper or place them in moist compost in a cool, frost-free spot. Do not let them dry out.

Planting:

Choose a sunny to partially shaded position with well-drained soil. Echinops thrive in light, open conditions and will tolerate poor, sandy or clay soils once established.
Prepare the ground by loosening the soil and digging in some compost to help the roots settle.
Dig a hole wide enough to spread the roots naturally. Place the crown (where the shoots meet the roots) level with the soil surface.
Backfill, firm gently and water well. Allow around 45cm between plants for their clumps to expand.

Aftercare:

Water thoroughly after planting and keep the soil evenly moist while they establish in their first season.
Once established, Echinops are drought tolerant and only need occasional deep watering during long dry spells.
Deadhead spent flowers to encourage a tidier look, but leave some seedheads for autumn and winter structure if you wish. They also feed birds.
In late autumn or early spring, cut stems back to the base once growth has died down.
Apply a light mulch of compost around the crowns in spring to enrich the soil.

Delivery Information

Our experienced team at the nursery will always carefully package and send your plants nursery fresh in the perfect condition to thrive once you receive and plant them. Although most plants are extremely tough and will not be affected by all but the most extreme of weather conditions, we always avoid dispatching the most perishable plants if extreme frosts or heat is forecast. We also avoid dispatching orders over Bank Holiday weekends.

Please allow us 3-5 working days to dispatch your order. If you have ordered a 'pre-order' item, these will be sent out as soon as possible after the quoted dispatch date and we generally ship your entire order with any pre-ordered items. Once your order has been dispatched, we will send you an email with details on how you can track it.

We send most of our orders via a fully tracked courier service with Yodel. We will send you a tracking link as soon as your order has been dispatched. To avoid perishable items being stuck at depots and deteriorating, we will not require a signature on delivery, and we ask out couriers to leave your item in a safe place ad your delivery address.

*Please note, once your item has been delivered, we cannot be held responsible for loss or theft from your delivery address. If you have delivery instruction and require our courier to leave your item in a specific place, please let us know - there is an option to leave a message for the courier at the checkout.

For smaller and single-item orders, we may send these via the post with Royal Mail - Tracking will not be available for orders sent via this method.

**Please note, we cannot guarantee delivery on a certain day or time. Delivery to outlying postcode areas may take 1-2 days longer, dependent on your location.

For all orders, a small delivery fee of £4.99 will be charged or spend over £49.99 for FREE Delivery!

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