Perennial · Asteraceae family
Southern Globe Thistle
Echinops ritro
In short a 10-second read
Southern Globe Thistle (perennial) grows to 0.9–1.2 m tall and 0.6–0.76 m wide when mature. It grows best in full sun, in dry to average soil. It flowers in July–September; the flowers are blue. Hardy to −37 °C.
× spread 0.6–0.76 m
Where to plant
Sun, soil, frost.
It grows best in full sun, in dry to average soil. Hardy to −37 °C.
Sun
Elsewhere it will grow less well.
Soil and water
dry to average · watering: little
Soil: sandy, gravelly, loamy, clay
Soil pH 5.5–7.5
Frost
It copes with a normal winter outdoors.
How much space it takes
Mature size.
The mature plant next to a person (175 cm).
Next to a person
Reaches maturity in about 2–5 years. The final size depends on the cultivar and the spot — we give the range from smallest to largest.
Calendar
What to do and when.
Months for Central Europe. The line shows the current month.
The year at a glance
Flowers
July–September · blue
Pruning
deadhead spent flowers (July–September)
Planting
container plant: March–May, September–November
Winter protection
not needed
Overwintering
It copes with winter on its own.
It overwinters outdoors without protection, hardy to −37 °C.
- Needs no protection
- Hardy to −37 °C
- Dies back in winter and regrows in spring
What to combine it with
Same needs, different flowering.
They share the same sun and soil and flower in other months — so the bed flowers for longer.
German iris
0.6–0.9 m
garden tulip
0.25–0.6 m
catmint
0.45–0.6 mReady-made Studio combinations that include Southern Globe Thistle
Blue globe thistles and sea holly over grey grass and houseleeks —…
A blue and pink mix of catmint, salvia and coneflower that feeds bees…
Frequently asked
Quick answers.
When does Southern Globe Thistle flower?
In July–September; the flowers are blue.
Does Southern Globe Thistle tolerate shade?
No, it needs full sun.
How much space does Southern Globe Thistle need?
At maturity 0.6–0.76 m wide and 0.9–1.2 m tall; recommended spacing 58 cm.
Does Southern Globe Thistle survive winter outdoors?
Yes, without protection, hardy to −37 °C.
Where the data comes from
We compared the data in 16 expert sources. Last checked 28 September 2026.
Show sources (16)
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Echinops ritro
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Echinops ritro
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Echinops ritro
- GBIF Occurrence Search API — Echinops ritro
- Wikidata (CC0) — Echinops ritro
- Bamberger Staudengarten (Strobler), katalóg
- Foerster-Stauden, katalóg
- RHS - Echinops ritro
- Iowa State Extension - How to Plant Perennials
- RHS - How to grow perennial plants
- Invasive plant lists — this species is not on them: EU, Slovakia, Czechia, Germany, Poland, Denmark
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