What is Echinops ritro used for?
Echinops ritro L. Asteraceae) is traditionally used in the treatment of bacterial/fungal infections and respiratory and heart ailments. A full sun lover (partial shade is tolerated), Echinops ritro thrives in poor, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils. Rich soils are to be avoided. Tolerant of hot and humid summers. While moisture is required during its growing season, this plant is drought-tolerant thereafter.
What plants go well with Echinops?
Echinops & achillea plant combination. Strong structural elements and a striking colour contrast create a pairing that will look great in summer. Companion plants for echinops perennials with contrasting foliage or flowers: echinops pairs well with plants that offer a contrast in color or form. This could include echinacea (coneflower), rudbeckia (black-eyed susan), or achillea (yarrow).Introducing echinops ritro, an award-winning perennial that is as charming as it is carefree. Also known as Southern Globe Thistle, this unique plant is perfect for adding late-season color to borders, beds and even bouquets.
Where is the best place to plant Echinops?
This perennial requires full sun to perform best, and thrives on poor, gravelly, sandy soils. Echinops looks great in mixed borders and gravel gardens. The nectar-rich flowers are loved by bees and butterflies, and its architectural seed heads continue will provide interest through autumn and winter. Echinops seedlings need a lot of root room to get started. Once the seedlings have developed their first pair of true leaves and are large enough to handle, transplant into individual 3 inch pots. For autumn sown seedlings, pot on and grow for another year before planting outside permanently.Echinops will self-seed freely and you can collect seed in autumn. Alternatively you can divide plants in autumn or spring, or take root cuttings when dormant.Cut back Echinops in autumn or leave until spring. In sheltered gardens, dry Echinops seedheads can be striking and sculptural, particularly when touched with frost. Globe thistles are fully herbaceous, dying back each year.
What is the common name for Echinops ritro?
Echinops ritro, the southern globe thistle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to southern and eastern Europe, from Spain east to Turkey, Ukraine, and Belarus, and western and central Asia east to Mongolia. Mechanical methods include mowing, cutting, or uprooting the plants before the flowers go to seed, which can help reduce the spread but may need to be repeated several times throughout the growing season. Chemical control involves the use of herbicides that are specifically effective against thistles.Growth Habit: Echinops is an upright, clump-forming perennial that has thistle-like texture (thorns included) and a large taproot. It blooms from July to August with a spiky golf ball-sized flower head. The sometimes-branching stalks grow from a basal foliage rosette.Remove Thistle Plants Before Seeds Spread Digging is most effective when done before flowering occurs, but once the flowers emerge, cut back the flowering stem before the seeds form to prevent even more plants sprouting in next year’s garden. If you opt for chemical control, focus on the first-year rosette of leaves.Pruning may also be necessary, for example, if flower heads snap off after a storm. After pruning, Echinops flowers can be dried and used for decoration before the flowers open. Also, to prevent the uncontrolled spread of the globe thistle, cut off the wilted flower heads early, before the seeds are scattered.