Fascinating, absolutely eye-popping purple, 2.5” pineapple-like flower heads on this Texas/Kansas native annual make THE BEST CUT FLOWERS, keeping their color when dried. Broadly branching to 3’ tall, intense purple blooms with blue anthers (!) are topped & anchored with showy, bright violet bracts. Almost the entire plant is some shade of purple, really standing out, even from a distance. Best in poor dry soil, clay okay! Not a true thistle. Self-sows!