It has been some time since I shared a Botanicals 101 post, but I feel inspired today, as I was just working with Globe Thistles, or Echinops ritro. An herbaceous perennial thistle loved by pollinators, the plants grow to approximately 24″ tall, and sport prickly leaves with steel-blue flowers, approximately 1″-1.5″ in diameter, blooming in late summer. While I was unable to find any mythology related to this particular type of thistle, I was happy to discover something relating to its name: “Globe Thistle’s name comes from Ancient Greek ‘echinos’ (hedgehog) and ‘ops’ (appearance), referring to its spiny, spherical flower heads.”1 How charming is that?
Plus, as alluded to, while I was unable to find any folklore about this particular thistle, the thistle family is rich in mythology, with some uses in traditional herbal medicine. While the Scottish thistle is perhaps the most iconic, the thistle is a symbol of resilience and protection in Eastern Europe, as well. “Wearing or carrying a thistle flower was believed to drive off feelings of melancholy…,” while “a vase of the flowers would boost the vitality of anyone in the same room.”2 When kept by the door, thistle was also believed to protect against witches!
Why the interest in globe thistles, though? you might ask. Well, as they are beloved by pollinators, I am happy to have shared an abundance of Globe Thistle seeds with our local public library’s seed library! For all of our local friends interested in attracting pollinators to your garden, stop by the Hamilton Public Library and snag an envelope for yourself… and maybe donate something else while you’re there! Seed libraries are a great community resource, and we are lucky to have such an engaged team at our local library.
READ MORE…
- Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Llewellyn, 2020. [SHOP NOW]
- Cunningham, Scott. Magical Herbalism. Llewellyn, 2021. [SHOP NOW]
- Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam, 1974.
- Oakley Harrington, Christina. The Treadwell’s Book of Plant Magic. Weiser Books, 2023. [SHOP NOW]
