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Echinops ritro subsp. Ruthenicus, Echinops ruthenicus, or Ruthenian Globe Thistle is from the Asteraceae family of plants. Echinops ritro subsp. Ruthenicus is a herbaceous perennial. The name is from Greek “echinos” means hedgehog and “ops” means appearance, this refers to the shape of the flowers.
It blooms in late summer. The flowers are blue-violet and globe-shaped. It has lobed, thistle-like leaves that are whitish underneath. It grows to about 1m or 3ft high. It is native to Central and Eastern Europe and Western and Central Asia.
How to grow Echinops ritro subsp. Ruthenicus:
Grow it in the sun. It can tolerate partial shade but performs better in the sun. Plant it in poor, well-drained soil. Echinops ritro subsp. Ruthenicus tolerates most types of soil. Deadhead the flowers, otherwise it will self-seed. You can propagate through seeds in mid-spring or by division in autumn. It is ideal for borders or informal gardens. It is generally disease-free. Watch out for aphids.
