Echinops setifer

Echinops setifer is a perennial known as globe thistle. It belongs to the daisy family, Asteraceae. Its native range spans eastern China, Korea, and central and southern Japan. It grows in temperate parts of this region. In Japan, it occurs on low mountains. Chinese records place it on mountain slopes. In Korea, it grows in open grassland. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

Plants reach about 3.3 feet (1 metre) in height. This makes it a medium-height choice for cultivated beds. Flowers appear from July through September. Each flower has both male and female organs. Insects pollinate the flowers. Seeds ripen from August through October. The flowering and seed seasons therefore overlap in late summer. The supplied species evidence gives no flower colour or leaf shape. It also gives no mature spread.

Grow this plant in sun with soil that drains well. It also accepts some shade. Sandy, loamy, and clay soils can all suit it. Good drainage matters across these soil types. It grows in soil with low or medium fertility. Poor soil need not rule it out. It accepts mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline conditions. Soil may be dry or moist. Once established, plants can cope with drought. The evidence gives no hardiness zone or specific frost limit.

Seed, division, and root cuttings offer ways to raise more plants. Sow seed in a cold frame in early spring. At 25°C, germination takes about three to nine weeks. Move seedlings into separate pots once large enough to handle. Plant them out in summer. Another option is an outdoor seedbed in mid-spring. Move those plants to their final site in late summer or autumn. Divide plants in autumn, or take root cuttings in winter.

Young leaves have a recorded food use when cooked. Plants For A Future gives edibility a low rating. It also records traditional medicinal uses for the root. These include use against worms and for skin complaints. Korean uses include promoting menstruation and use as an antidote. The source also notes a weak antitumour action. These records do not establish safe or effective home treatments. The source lists no known hazards, but that does not prove safety. It reports no weed potential and names no pests or diseases.