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Herbaceous Perennial

Cirsium heterophyllum 'Pink Blush'

melancholy thistle 'Pink Blush'

An upright, clump-forming perennial with long, narrow, non-spiny, dark green leaves, felted white on the undersides. The broad thistle flowers are white, topped with vivid, purple-pink anthers, carried on tall, woolly stems in mid- to late summer

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Asteraceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Cirsium may be biennials or perennials with spiny leaves and typical thistle-type flower-heads
Name status: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Best in moist but well-drained soil in full sun, but can tolerate some shade and some dryness

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Prairie planting
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

If self-seeding is a problem then cut back hard after flowering

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free, though may be susceptible to powdery mildews

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