Actually Echinops is very invasive if you forget to cut the flower heads off.

What do you mean by thistles ? Everything prickly?

I never cut the flowers off my Echinops. I like to leave the seed heads for winter interest and feed for the birds. I get a few seedlings at the base, but I would in no way consider it invasive. I guess it depends partly where you live.

Here are a few that I found looking on the internet:

Centaurea macrocephala

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Onopordum acanthium (Scottish Thistle)

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Cirsium rivulare

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Have you looked into Eryngiums?

If a Centaurea is a 'thistle' for you, then you can check: Centaurea atropurpurea, Centaurea orientalis, Centaurea glastifolia(= Chartolepsis glastifolia). Centaurea salonitana is extremely beautiful, but a terrible runner(caution!). If you're interested in other Echinops than bannaticus, then check E. ruthenicus(syn. E.ritro ruthenicus), it has white stems and undersides of the leaves, and it has a more intense colour. White flowered Echinops don't look good after the blooming, the flowers turn ugly brown colour.

They're not thistles, but for a similar look, how about some bulbs - Alliums, Agapanthus, Muscari and/or Hyacinth?

You might enjoy some of the everlastings, Helichrysum, statice, Gomphrena.

I don't like either Echinops or Eryngium ;-) The first is terribly weedy here and seeds out a whole carpet of babies the next spring. Not only are they hard to pull up (long tap root that WILL re-sprout) but they make me itch doing so!!! Then Eryngiums have been total flops for me- literally! Even in poor soil the flop seems to be an issue...

Artichokes and other Cardoon relatives would fit the bill. Very imposing looking too!

You should check out this site for more prickly perennials: Nancy J. Ondra's blog I've seen a number of posts there about that very subject. The prickly eggplant was pretty cool!!!
CMK

Echinops are easy to drown in winter. Floppiness in Eryngium alpinum is individual - some plants stand up in an exemplary way , some are floppy. Luck of the draw.

Please! don't plant wild thistles they are a big pain,ask any farm person

I love my "Big Blue" Sea Holly. The steel blue colour that it becomes is striking.

Speaking of prickly perennials, I may have to reassess my prickly pear patch next spring.

I have several seed-grown kinds of Opuntia and one non-spiny variety. The prickly ones are loaded with glochids, those tiny spines that attach greedily and break off in your skin when you try and weed among them. Why am I giving garden space to something that attacks me?

They are amazingly hardy and the naked one is already giving me yellow flowers over a brief period. The spiny brethren's days may be numbered, though.

Anyone every grow echinops tienschanicum? (suppose to be like regular globe thistle.. except with giant "tennis ball sized flowers). I did see this spring.. so maybe next year have something to show for it

Here are some of my prickles......
Silybum aka Blessed Thistle...annual that reseeds
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Eryngium
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Echinops & Echinacea
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I have grown Echinops maracandicus. I could not see any difference between it and E. exaltatus. And I still do not know what is the difference between E.exaltatus and sphaerocephalus - they look the same to me. Some years ago there were adverts for E.sphaerocephalus Arctic Glow- white flowered with dark reddish stems. I have thrown it out as the flowers looked very unattractive(brown grey) as soon as they were pollinated.

As the photo shows, milk thistle (Silybum marianum) has ornamental foliage. Wear thick gloves and long sleeves when gardening around it though, to avoid a painful lesson in thistle anatomy.

The unique texture and colour of these plants make it a very worthwhile addition to anyone's sun garden. Here are a couple of my "Big Blue" Sea Holly from last summer. (This particular variety are self-supporting. They do grow tall but are 'airy' and don't spread much so you can usually find space for them in your garden),

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Nevermore44, Echinops tienschanicum is described as only hardy to zone 6

Here is a link that might be useful: Echinops tienschanicum

Ha hs. After a trip to Scotland where I was smitten by their national flower, I let one flower in my own garden. Five years later I’m still weeding!

Cort, thanks much for mentioning of echinops tienschanicum, sounds like something I'd wish to try! For many years I grew echinops ritro ruthenicus with it's bright silvery stems and blooms of vibrant blue, though each year the foliage would melt away due to some type of blight while leaving my other variety alone. Well, those two varieties had gotten together to produce a few hybrid seedlings between them showing those nice silver stems and blight resistance.