# Glandular Globe-thistle (*Echinops sphaerocephalus*)

The Glandular Globe-thistle is a beautiful flower that looks like a round blue ball! It attracts bees and butterflies, making gardens lively and colorful.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Glandular Globe-thistle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Echinops_sphaerocephalus_20050705_565.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Georg Slickers, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Echinops_sphaerocephalus_20050705_565.jpg)

## Appearance

The Glandular Globe-thistle has striking metallic blue-grey, perfectly spherical flower heads, bristling with tiny star-shaped florets. Its leaves are deeply lobed and spiny, giving it a rough, thistle-like appearance, often with a silvery-green hue.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Asteraceae
- **Genus:** Echinops

## Interesting facts

- Each spiky globe flower is actually made of hundreds of tiny, individual blooms!
- Its name, 'Echinops', means 'hedgehog-like' in Greek, describing its bristly round flowers!
- Many types of bees and butterflies visit these amazing globes, collecting nectar all summer long!
- The dried flower heads keep their shape and color, making them popular for everlasting bouquets!

## Special abilities

- **Spiny Shield:** Glandular Globe-thistle has sharp, spiny leaves and bracts that help it defend against hungry plant-eaters.
- **Nectar Globe:** Its round flower head is packed with hundreds of tiny flowers, offering a big landing pad and feast for pollinators.
- **Dry Land Survivor:** This plant has deep roots that help it find water in dry soils, allowing it to thrive where others struggle.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 90-180 cm
- **Spread:** 45-90 cm
- **Flower Size:** 3-6 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer_to_early_fall
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects abundant nectar and pollen from the blooms.
- **Pollinates:** Painted Lady butterfly (*Vanessa cardui*) — sips nectar from the numerous small flowers.
- **Eats:** [European goldfinch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-goldfinch) (*Carduelis carduelis*) — feasts on the plant's mature seeds in autumn.
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — a common visitor, gathering nectar and pollen.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch flowers without asking an adult first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Glandular Globe-thistle?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Glandular Globe-thistle?

90-180 cm

### How wide does Glandular Globe-thistle spread?

45-90 cm

### How big are the flowers on Glandular Globe-thistle?

3-6 cm

### When does Glandular Globe-thistle bloom?

Summer_to_early_fall

### Is Glandular Globe-thistle edible?

Yes

### Is Glandular Globe-thistle toxic?

None

### What is Glandular Globe-thistle's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Glandular Globe-thistle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/glandular-globe-thistle)