Overview

Echinops ritro 'Veitch's Blue' is a clump forming, columnar upright perennial in the genus Echinops, part of the Asteraceae family, with deciduous foliage. It typically grows around 0.5 m tall. Echinops ritro 'Veitch's Blue' grows best in full sun and partial shade, and tolerates most soils and any pH. Its UK hardiness is rated H7. Suggested uses include coastal, cottage and informal garden, gravel garden, wildlife gardens, cut flowers and flower borders and beds. It is native to Ukraine, Qinghai, Kazakhstan, North Caucasus, Liechtenstein, Romania, South European Russia and Montenegro.

About

Echinops ritro 'Veitch's Blue' is a clump-forming, columnar perennial in the Asteraceae that carries globe-shaped steel-blue flowerheads from July to September. Plants have deciduous, prickly leaves and hold their flower spheres well above the foliage. It suits exposed, south-, west- or east-facing sites and is fully hardy in the UK. Flowerheads are useful both for cutting and for wildlife interest.

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

A member of the Asteraceae, Echinops ritro 'Veitch's Blue' originates from regions of southern and eastern Europe and further east into central Asia; it produces unmistakable globe-shaped, steel-blue flowers in mid to late summer (July to September). The cultivar forms a clump with an upright, columnar habit and bears deciduous, prickly foliage that dies back after flowering. Plant in a sunny or part-shaded spot on freely draining soil — chalk, loam or sand all suit it provided the site does not remain wet. It tolerates acid, neutral and alkaline soils but performs best where drainage is reliable; exposed sites are tolerated. In UK terms the rating H7 denotes a fully hardy plant, so no winter protection is normally required. Echinops ritro 'Veitch's Blue' works well in gravel gardens, coastal situations, cottage and informal borders, wildlife beds and mixed flower borders where vertical, architectural heads are needed. Leave the stems for as long as required for cutting; the round flowerheads are long-lasting in arrangements and also provide late-summer nectar for pollinators.

Growing conditions

Best soil and position for Echinops

Sunlight

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil type

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Soil pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

Soil moisture

Well-drained

Aspect

South-facing, West-facing, East-facing

Exposure

Exposed

UK hardiness

H7

Plant details

Echinops ritro 'Veitch's Blue' size, habit and characteristics

Plant type

Perennial

Habit

Clump forming, Columnar upright

Foliage

Deciduous

Height

0.5 m

Suggested uses

Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Wildlife gardens, Cut flowers, Flower borders and beds

Native to

Ukraine, Qinghai, Kazakhstan, North Caucasus, Liechtenstein, Romania, South European Russia, Montenegro

Care notes

Pruning and caring for Echinops ritro 'Veitch's Blue'

Cultivation

Prefers well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade; drought tolerant once established; minimal maintenance required

Pruning

Cut back to ground level in late winter or early spring to encourage fresh growth

Propagation

Seed sown in seed bed in mid spring, Division in spring or autumn, Root cuttings in winter

Pest resistance

Aphids

Disease resistance

Generally disease-free

Frequently asked questions

More in the Echinops genus

• 
  Echinops tournefortiiGlobe Thistle
• Echinops bann. 'Blue Globe'Globe Thistle
• Echinops bann. 'Taplow Blue'Globe Thistle
• Echinops nivalis or nivea of gardensGlobe Thistle