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Great Globe Thistle

Echinops sphaerocephalus

Description:

This is a glandular, woolly perennial herbaceous plant which reaches on average 50–100 centimetres (20–39 in) of height, with a maximum of two metres. Its erect, branching, gray, slightly wrinkled and hairy stems bear the occasional large, soft, sharply toothed, sharp-lobed pointed green leaves. They are sticky hairy above, and white woolly below. Atop each stem is an almost perfectly spherical inflorescence up to 6 cm in diameter, packed with white or blue-gray disc florets. It flowers from June until September. (Wikipedia)

Habitat:

These were in a cultivated garden.

1 Species ID Suggestions

Great globe thistle
Echinops sphaerocephalus Echinops sphaerocephalus


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7 Comments

Ava T-B
Ava T-B 10 years ago

mauna Kunzah, They are like something out of Dr. Suess aren't they? The funny thing is that my very first PN spotting was a globe thistle, and it was a weed out in the middle of nowhere in Turkey, and these are exactly the same, but cultivated in Shakspear's garden in Stratford.

mauna Kunzah
mauna Kunzah 10 years ago

Wow, the second picture is surreal, Ava!

suzmonk
suzmonk 10 years ago

Beautiful ... I love thistles.

DespinaTsafetopoulou
DespinaTsafetopoulou 10 years ago

You're welcome, dear @Ava T-B :)

Ava T-B
Ava T-B 10 years ago

Thanks so much for the ID DespinaTsafetopoulou. And for the help Dan and Chester.

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 10 years ago

Totally agree with chester.

chesterbperry
chesterbperry 10 years ago

Definitely not an Allium, I would look to the the Eryngium genus, sorry i can not help narrow it further.

Ava T-B
Spotted by
Ava T-B

England, United Kingdom

Spotted on Jul 27, 2013
Submitted on Aug 19, 2013

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