Carlina acaulis ssp. caulescens 'Bronze'

Weather Thistle is a low growing perennial for the rock garden that will grow happily in even the leanest of soils. Pure white blossoms with silver bracts are held on short stems over a low rosette of spiky, bronze foliage.

Fun Fact: the bracted flowers open in dry weather and close in moist weather. Flowers retain this property for a long time even after they are cut. Flowers were often nailed over cottage doors to indicate when rain was coming.

Zones: 3 to 9

Family: Asteraceae

Type: Perennial

Height: 4 to 6 in.

Spread: 10 to 12 in.

Exposure: Full sun

Soil Conditions: dry, well-drained

Bloom Time: July to September

Bloom Color: White

Native Range: Europe

Image Credits:

peganum from Small Dole, England, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons