Here's a fascinating plant, new to us this year. But hardly new. Most Sea Hollies grow along the Mediterranean coast as striking blue wildflowers, and they have been admired for centures. Even Plutarch wrote about this plant in ancient Rome! One of the species also grows in the Alps, and that one is Erynigium alpinum, or Alpine Sea Holly. Our selection is from that species, and said to be one of the bluest of them all.
The great British gardener of the Edwardian period, William Robinson, the first plant expert who was seriously interested in wildflowers, said Sea Holly was his all-time favorite. Stunned by the blue coloring, rare in flowers, he wrote that Sea Holly was not surpassed in beauty by any plant! Quite an endorsement.
For good growth, Sea Holly requires full sun and a gritty, fast-draining soil, so site yours carefully. The flowers arise in mid-summer from plants about 30 tall, and by the way, both the leaves and roots are edible.
More InformationSKU | AM014457 |
Item Package Size | Bag of 3 |
Common Name | Blue Star Sea Holly |
Botanical Name | Eryngium alpinum Blue Star |
Zones | 5, 6, 7, 8 |
Light Requirements | Full Sun |
Flower Color | Blue |
Flower Size | 1-2" flowers |
Mature Height | 30-36" tall |
Estimated Mature Spread | 12-18" wide |
Growth Rate | Medium |
Bloom Time | Early to late summer |
Planting Depth | Plant so that the top of the root is 1" below the soil line. |
Ships As | Bare Root |
Foliage | Lacy dark blue and green thistle-like foliage. |
Soil Type | Sandy Soil, Loamy Soil, Drought/Dry Soil |
Soil Moisture | Dry, Average, Well Draining |
Tolerates | Dry Sites |
Advantages | Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant, Good For Cut Flowers, Good For Dried Flowers, Good Rockgarden Or Alpine Plant |
Ideal Region | Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, West, Southwest, Pacific Northwest |
Planting Time | Spring / Summer |
Neonicotinoid Free | |
Ships to Hawaii, Alaska & Canada | No |