About
Echinops nivalis or nivea of gardens is a perennial member of the genus Echinops in the family Asteraceae, commonly called Globe Thistle. It carries the genus’s characteristic spherical flower heads and flowers in the UK from July to September. The stems arise from perennial rhizomes and the flower heads are made up of many tubular florets. Plants are a known host for certain Larinus weevils.
About the genus
Echinops is a genus of about 130 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, commonly known as globe thistles. They have spiny foliage and produce blue or white spherical flower heads. They are distributed from central Asia, Mongolia and north-eastern China to the Mediterranean basin, temperate regions of Eurasia, reaching to Indian subcontinent and tropical Africa.
Wikipedia contributors, "Echinops", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Echinops
In the garden
Echinops nivalis or nivea of gardens belongs to the Asteraceae and sits within a genus widely known as globe thistles. Its growth arises from perennial rhizomes and individual stems bear spherical heads composed of many tubular florets; the head structure means florets open in sequence across the sphere. The species has a wide natural distribution across temperate Eurasia and into Mediterranean regions. Flowering runs from July to September, producing the globe-like heads that give the group its common name. The rhizomatous habit makes division a straightforward way to propagate or reduce clump size; divide during a cooler season when the plant is not in heavy growth. Because the heads are formed from many small tubular flowers, they attract seed-feeding insects and the plant is recorded as a host for weevils of the genus Larinus. Use the plant where vertical, spherical summer structure is needed in late-season beds and borders; the long-lasting heads provide form through the July–September period. Leave spent heads in place if you want to inspect seed set or the insects they support, and plan divisions if you need to limit spreading or create new planting positions.
More in the Echinops genus
- Echinops ritroRuthenian globe thistle
- Echinops ritro 'Veitch's Blue'Southern Globe Thistle
- Echinops ruthenicusGlobe Thistle
- Echinops sphaerocephalusglandular globe thistle
- Echinops tournefortiiGlobe Thistle
- Echinops bann. 'Blue Globe'Globe Thistle
- Echinops bann. 'Taplow Blue'Globe Thistle
- Echinops exaltatus f. albus