Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue'
globe thistle
- Position: full sun or partial shade
- Soil: poor, well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: July and August
- Flower colour: bright blue
- Other features: excellent cut-flowers
- Hardiness: fully hardy
Spherical, bright blue flower-heads up to 5cm (2in) across in July and August and prickly, grey-green leaves. This gorgeous globe thistle is highly attractive to butterflies and bees. An eye-catching, yet undemanding perennial for the back of a herbaceous or mixed border, it's best planted in poor, well-drained soil in full sun. - Garden care: Lift and divide congested colonies in autumn or spring.
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