Echinops sphaerocephalus
Globe thistle
(c) Jacek Pietruszewski, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Echinops sphaerocephalus (Globe thistle) is a non-native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by Old World genus; represents different evolutionary approach to flower head organization than native thistles.
Globe thistle is a naturalized perennial found in the Modoc Plateau in disturbed places at elevations around 1,300 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces white to pale blue flowers in spherical heads 3 to 6 centimeters in diameter with distinctive spiny, fringed involucre bracts. Growing with tall stems one to two meters high that are much-branched and glandular, it has an impressive and robust appearance. Its oblong-elliptic leaves have lanceolate to triangular lobes, with a cobwebby-tomentose undersurface and green, glandular upper surface that clasps the stem. The fruit is 7 to 8 millimeters long, densely covered with appressed hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Old World genus; represents different evolutionary approach to flower head organization than native thistles
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed places
Elevation: +- 1300 m.
Outside California: native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Echinops sphaerocephalus blooms Jun-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Dipsacus: Echinops has perfect spheres; Dipsacus has cylindrical, egg-shaped flower heads.; vs Cirsium: Echinops flowers form single tight spheres; Cirsium has multiple separate thistle heads on branching stems.; vs Carthamus: Echinops has spherical secondary heads; Carthamus has solitary cylindrical flower heads.; vs Flaveria: Echinops has spiky spherical heads; Flaveria has small clustered yellow button-like heads.; vs Artemisia: Echinops has spiny leaves and spiky globe heads; Artemisia has soft divided leaves and tiny greenish nodding heads.
Frequently asked questions
Is Echinops sphaerocephalus native to California?
No. Echinops sphaerocephalus is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Echinops sphaerocephalus bloom?
Echinops sphaerocephalus blooms Jun-Sep.
What plant family does Echinops sphaerocephalus belong to?
Echinops sphaerocephalus is in the Asteraceae family, genus Echinops.
What habitat does Echinops sphaerocephalus grow in?
Echinops sphaerocephalus grows in Disturbed places.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.