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Snowballs of exquisite beauty Plant a swathe of Echinops gmelinii Snow King and you will see something magical appear in your garden from July to August, a sea of pure white spherical blooms swaying in the breeze atop sturdy green stems and spiky thistle-like foliage. Each globe holds a plethora of starry white miniature flowers, all interlocking to form these rounded beauties. Architecturally attractive for us gardeners in borders and containers as well as fabulous for cut flowers in vases and dried arrangements. Extremely beneficial to wildlife, not only nectar and pollen rich, especially for bees and butterflies, but the seeds when ready to burst forth in the autumn are full of protein and fats for the hungry birds. The name Echinops comes from the latin, Echinos meaning hedgehog and ops meaning looking like- hedgehog lookalikes! Echinops gmelinii Snow King is low maintenance and drought tolerant when established, preferring to be positioned in well-drained soil in a southern or westerly facing sunny spot. This fully hardy herbaceous perennial grows to around 30-40cm tall and 10-20cm width and will flourish year after year with no winter protection required.
Flower and Foliage Months
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Key Information
| Latin Name | Echinops gmelinii Snow King 9cm pot |
|---|---|
| Common Name | globe thistle |
| Hardiness | H7 (-20°C and below) |
| Colour | White |
| Format | 9cm Pots |
| Position | Full-Sun, Part-Shade, Part-Sun |
| Foliage | Deciduous |
| Height in Maturity (m) | 0.40 m |
| Spread in Maturity (m) | 0.20 |
| Soil Conditions | Chalk Loam Sand |
| Soil Acidity | Acid Alkaline Neutral |
| Aspect | South-facing, West-facing |
| Drought Tolerant | Yes |
| Good for pots | Yes |
| Good for Rockeries | Yes |
| Good for wildlife | Yes |
| Good for pollinators | Yes |
| Good for cutting | Yes |
