Echinops bannaticus
Echinops bannaticus is from the Asteraceae family of plants. They also call it Echinops retro, Blue Globe Thistle, or Hungarian Globe Thistle. It is a clump-forming perennial with gray wooly stems. Echinops bannaticus is native to southeast Europe. Bannaticus refers to Banat, which is a region in Europe. This region is currently part of three countries. Romania, Serbia, and Hungary.
The greyish-green foliage is spiny and hairy. In mid or late summer, it produces globes of bluish-gray or violet flowers. The globes are about 5cm, in width.
How to grow Echinops bannaticus:
Grow Echinops bannaticus in the sun or partial shade. Plant it in poor and well-drained soil. Though it tolerates most types of soils. Propagate by seed or by division. To prevent self-seeding, deadhead the flowers. It is generally disease-free, but watch out for aphids.
