Introduction to the Globe Thistle Plant: A Complete Guide to Getting to Know It
Globe thistle is an excellent summer-blooming perennial flower with unusual flower shapes, rich and vivid colors, and a long ornamental period. There are more than 10 species of the Echinops genus distributed in China. Globe thistle helps relieve both high blood pressure and high blood lipids, has extremely high medicinal value, and is also an excellent nectar source plant.
Globe Thistle Family and Genus
Asteraceae (Aster family), Echinops genus.
Globe Thistle Distribution
Globe thistle is mainly distributed in the Tianshan region of Xinjiang, and is also widely distributed in the Soviet Union and central and southern Europe.
Globe Thistle Morphological Characteristics
Globe thistle is a perennial herb, 50-150 cm tall. The stem of globe thistle is solitary, with thick and sturdy stems and branches, covered with dense long jointed hairs and sparse cobweb-like thin hairs.
The basal and lower stem leaves of globe thistle are broadly lanceolate in overall shape, with pinnately lobed leaves. The leaf margins have spiny small teeth, and the leaf tips are acuminate. The leaves gradually become smaller from the base to the tip of the plant; the leaves are relatively thin in texture, with a papery feel. The two sides of the leaf differ in color: the upper surface is green with dense short rough hairs, while the lower surface is grayish-white with thin cobweb-like woolly hairs. The flowers of globe thistle are light blue or white, with deeply lobed corollas, and the lobes are linear. The achenes of globe thistle are obconical, and the fruit surface is covered with dense yellow, appressed, long straight hairs growing in the same direction; the flowering and fruiting period is August to September.
Globe Thistle Growth Habits
Globe thistle has very strong adaptability. It tolerates arid climates and poor, thin soil, and prefers cool climates and well-drained, breathable sandy loam soil. It strictly avoids hot and waterlogged environments, and extensive management is sufficient. Planted in masses, globe thistle can be used in flower borders to add ornamental appeal; planted along both sides of roads, it can soften harsh road curves.