Cirsium 'Mount Etna'
thistle 'Mount Etna'
'Mount Etna' is a herbaceous perennial up to 60cm high with deeply cut, softly spiny green leaves and pincushion-like flowerheads in midsummer, and in flushes to late summer if dead headed, the flowers creamy white, tipped with protruding magenta-pink filaments; the flowers are good for pollinators, and if the last flowers are allowed to remain, the seed heads may provide food for finches
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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green | Cream Pink Purple White | Green | |
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Genus
Cirsium may be biennials or perennials with spiny leaves and typical thistle-type flower-heads
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in full sun in well-drained soil
Propagation
Propagate by division from autumn to spring or by root cuttings
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Prairie planting
- Wildlife gardens
- Low Maintenance
- Cut flowers
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
No pruning required except deadheading to prolong the flowering season
Pests
Generally pest-free
Diseases
May be affected by powdery mildews
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