Globe Thistle
Echinops ritro
- Stay Protected with Plant Sentry ™
Globe Thistle - #1 Container is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.
This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.
Click Here to learn more

Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping
To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.
Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.
Standard Shipping Rates
At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.
From | To | S&H |
---|---|---|
$0 | $19.99 | $24.99 |
$20 | $49.99 | $29.99 |
$50 | $69.99 | $34.99 |
$70 | $99.99 | $39.99 |
$100 | $129.99 | $44.99 |
$130 | $149.99 | $48.99 |
$150 | $150+ | Approx 28% |
Click here to see our full rates
Understanding Plant Options
Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:
- Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
- Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements
Container Plant Sizes
Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.
Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2" x 2" x 3" | 0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts | 0.20 - 0.23 dry liters |
4" Container | 0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts | 0.35 - 0.96 dry liters |
4.5" Container | 0.65 dry quarts | 0.72 dry liters |
6" Container | 1.4 dry quarts | 1.59 dry liters |
1 Quart | 1 dry quart | 1.1 dry liters |
5.5" Container | 1.89 dry quarts | 2.08 dry liters |
Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2 Quart | 2 dry quarts | 2.2 dry liters |
#1 Container | 2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts | 2.49 - 4.11 dry liters |
5" x 5" x 12" | 3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts | 3.85 - 4.74 dry liters |
Mature Plants (2-4 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#2 Container | 1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons | 5.24 - 7.75 dry liters |
#3 Container | 2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons | 8.14 - 12.16 dry liters |
Large Plants (3-5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#5 Container | 2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons | 12.86 - 20.35 dry liters |
#6 Container | 5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons | 23.12 - 26.42 dry liters |
#7 Container | 5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons | 26.34 - 28.76 dry liters |
Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.
Common Sizes:
- Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
- Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet
Important Notes
Container Volume Specifications
- Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
- Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
- Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents
Growing Conditions
- Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
- Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
- Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment
Seasonal Availability
- Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
- Container plants are available throughout the growing season
- Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes
Questions?
For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.
Plant Highlights
Globe Thistle highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
-
Brand
-
Botanical Name
-
Growing Zones
-
Mature Height
-
Mature Spread
-
Sun ExposureFull Sun
-
Moisture
-
Soil
-
Growth RateMedium
-
Pollinator Friendly
-
Fragrant
-
Pruning Time
-
Bloom PeriodLate Spring, Summer

Growing Zones 3-8
Something unexpected for your garden! The enchanting Globe Thistle perennials (Echinops ritro) are super spikey and highly textural bundles of unique character for your landscape! Don't let their intimidating look chase you away! These may look like they can bite, but the effect they lend to your garden and your floral bouquets is profound!
Producing spiny gray-green foliage and upright growth, the summer-to-fall balls of spiky purple-blue florets appear in perfectly round pompoms atop their protective mounds of fine-textured foliage! This doesn't scare local bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects either! They'll gladly arrive to sip nectar all season long! Then in the fall, you and the songbirds will enjoy the seedheads for their winter interest, dried floral décor, and free bird food!
Globe Thistles are native to Europe, Asia, Mongolia and Turkey and their leathery leaves and adaptations to Mediterranean climates, heat, and xeric poor soil attest to their hardiness! Thriving here in the US throughout USDA growing zones 3 to 8, these perennials can grow 3 to 4 feet in height and spread 2 to 2 and a half feet in width. It's hard to imagine that these pokey pompoms are related to Sunflowers and Mums!
Planting and Application:
Globe Thistles have a very contemporary and modern appearance! Adding their unique form and texture to accent your gardens both as a singular specimen among softer blooms or en mass as an outstanding focal point! Formal rows spaced in precision, or informal groupings among Rock Gardens and in a funky perennial border, either way, these prickly lovelies will fit right in!
Either pair with fine textured Russian Sage and Salvias, frilly Yarrow, or Scabiosa. Or go a bit crazy by planting with other like-minded blooms like Alliums, bold Coneflowers, and Red Hot Poker Plants. Create a modern cottage garden, Sensory Garden, or enjoy unique cut flowers in your cutting garden, anywhere in the sun where pollinators will flock to your landscape! Spiky Iris foliage, Yucca, Pineapple Lily, and other sun-loving textural lovelies welcome Globe Thistles among their ranks!
- Prickly Purple/Blue Round Flower Clusters
- Spiky Blue-Green Hairy Foliage
- Cut Flowers, Dried Décor & Winter Interest
- Pollinator & Bird Friendly!
- Long-Lasting Texture, Xeric, Color & Unique Accents!
#ProPlantTips for Care:
Globe Thistles are easily grown in a variety of soils but must be well-drained and not too fertile. They do best in full sun but can also tolerate partial shade and afternoon shade, especially in the hottest of their preferred growing zones. Provide moderate moisture and mulched beds for new plants, but back off on watering after they're established. The plant is tolerant of drought, deer, and rabbits. Prune in late fall unless you wish to leave the seedheads up for birds and winter interest, and clean mounds in early spring instead.
- Full Sun & Some Partial Shade
- Moderate to Low Moisture Needs Once Established
- Excellently Drained Soil - Tolerates Poor Sandy Sites
- Clean Mounds In The Fall
- Rarely Bothered by Deer, Rabbits, Drought & Saline Conditions
From the Greek 'echinos' meaning hedgehog, the Globe Thistle will add its prickly beauty and unique texture to your landscape without requiring much in return! Order your own unusual perennial plants today from Nature Hills!