Blue Globe Thistle vs Cider Gum

Echinops bannaticus compared with Eucalyptus gunnii

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blue Globe Thistle	Cider Gum
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)	Myrtales (Myrtales)
Family	Tenrecidae	Myrtaceae
Genus	Echinops	Eucalyptus
Species	Echinops bannaticus	Eucalyptus gunnii

Conservation Status

Blue Globe Thistle

NE — Not Evaluated

Cider Gum

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blue Globe Thistle	Cider Gum
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blue Globe Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (11 countries) and North America (United States).

Cider Gum

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (9 countries) and South America (Brazil).

Blue Globe Thistle

The Blue Globe Thistle (Echinops bannaticus) is a species in the genus Echinops. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

The cider gum (Eucalyptus gunnii) is a medium to large eucalyptus tree native to the highlands of Tasmania, Australia, where it grows at elevations up to 1,400 meters in subalpine and montane environments. It is one of the most cold-hardy eucalypts, tolerating severe frosts and occasional snow, which has made it widely popular in cultivation far beyond its native range, particularly in Britain, Ireland, France, and other temperate parts of Europe. In Tasmania, cider gum typically grows along the margins of highland lakes and in subalpine moorland and wet sclerophyll communities. The species reaches 15–35 meters in height, with smooth, pale gray-green to white bark that peels in ribbons. Young foliage is distinctive round and silver-blue, aging to more elongated sickle-shaped adult leaves. The name cider gum derives from the practice of Tasmanian Aboriginal people fermenting the sweet sap that pools in natural wounds to produce a mildly fermented drink. The species is classified as Not Evaluated by the IUCN. Eucalyptus gunnii provides habitat for several Tasmanian endemic species and is considered an important component of highland vegetation communities. In its introduced European range, it is a popular ornamental and windbreak tree. Concerns exist about its naturalization in some European countries where it has established self-sustaining populations.