Bring in the bees and butterflies with pollinator magnet Echinops 'Veitch's Blue'. This globe thistle is a must-have for wildlife gardens—the ball-like blooms not only look fantastic but put on a nectar feast for bees and butterflies. Steely-blue, starry blooms cover the flowerheads which are heralded at the top of every silvery, upright stem. This structural plant brings months of interest, even after flowering. Plant your Echinops 'Veitch's Blue' bare roots in borders and enjoy the flower colour in summer, then watch as they slowly fade to silver-grey, which is how they remain as a frosty-looking feature through autumn and winter.   

If you’re into creating indoor arrangements with home-grown flowers, Echinops 'Veitch's Blue' will provide plenty of cutting material—both when in bloom and after the season has passed and the flowers have dried. Low-maintenance globe thistles are heat and drought tolerant, the spiny, grey-green foliage with felted white undersides reduces water loss. Partner Echinops ritro 'Veitch's Blue' with tall grasses, perovskia, salvias and other silver-leaved plants to create a drought resistant Mediterranean-style planting scheme. They thrive in most conditions but are particularly useful in coastal areas where soils are typically sandy and light.