Echinops ritro, one of more than 120 species of Echinops, but only a few of these thistles are growable in the perennial garden. I think they look best when picked just before the bloom. I just love their prickly, thistle-like quality, especially when they are pointy, before each flower opens, it is then, when they have perfect symmetry. They need no foliage, nor other flowers, nor height. Simply pick the flower heads, and then assemble them closely, so the no stems can be seen.
