Sea holly is an eye-catching and unique perennial plant that makes a great addition to any garden. With its spiny, thistle-like blue flower heads and attractive silvery foliage, sea holly provides interesting texture and color. Though sea holly is not the most common flowering plant, it has become increasingly popular with gardeners and plant collectors looking for something different. Luckily, sea holly plants are available for sale from several reputable online nurseries, making it easy to add this uncommon beauty to your outdoor space.
About Sea Holly Plants
Sea holly, also known as eryngium, is a genus of flowering plants in the carrot family. There are over 250 species of sea holly, which are native to Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and Africa. The common name “sea holly” comes from the resemblance of the flowers and bracts to prickly holly leaves. Sea hollies typically bloom in the summer, producing dense clusters of small, spiky blue or steel blue flowers that are very striking. The flowers are popular with butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. In addition to being eye-catching, sea holly is also deer and rabbit resistant. This tough perennial has a long flowering season, sometimes lasting from early summer into fall.
Sea holly plants have distinctive deeply cut silver, grayish green, or blue green leaves that complement the icy colored flowers. There are both short compact varieties that only reach 1-2 feet tall, as well as taller types that can grow 3-4 feet in height. Sea hollies thrive in full sun and well-drained soil. Some species prefer moist conditions, while others are quite drought tolerant. These useful perennials require little care and maintenance to thrive once established.
Where to Buy Sea Holly Plants Online
Sea holly is not the most common perennial but it is available at some reputable online nurseries and garden centers. Here are some great options for purchasing sea holly plants for sale and adding this unique beauty to your garden
Wilson Bros Gardens
Wilson Bros Gardens offers sea holly plants in one gallon pots so the plants arrive ready to transplant and grow in your garden. Some of their top sea holly varieties include:
- Blue Hobbit – a compact 10-12 inch tall variety.
- Blue Glitter – a taller 36-40 inch species with airy flower clusters.
- Blue Cap – a mid-height sea holly growing 18-24 inches.
Wilson Bros sea holly plants come with free shipping and a guarantee
Tulip World
Tulip World has the Big Blue Sea Holly available for sale. This variety produces iridescent, spiky blue flower heads on 18-24 inch tall plants that bloom in mid-summer. The bare root plants ship in spring.
Great Garden Plants
The online nursery Great Garden Plants carries the Blue Glitter Sea Holly. This eye-catching Eryngium variety has vibrant metallic blue flowers and grows 3-4 feet tall The plants are shipped as young bare roots in spring.
Local Garden Centers
Check with your local independent garden centers to see if they have sea holly plants in stock. These retailers sometimes carry more unusual plants and varieties that you won’t find at big box stores. Purchasing plants locally is also more environmentally friendly since they don’t have to be shipped.
No matter where you choose to buy your sea holly plants from, be sure to plant them in a sunny well-draining spot. Give them a little space since the flowers and bracts can spread out quite wide. Then enjoy these thistle-like blooms and unique foliage all season long! The striking and statuesque sea holly is sure to add intrigue to any garden.
Blue Sea Holly – Eryngium – Unusual flowering perennial for the garden
FAQ
Where is the best place to plant sea holly?
Which is the best sea holly?
Is a sea holly a perennial or annual?
What is the difference between sea holly and globe thistle?
What is a sea holly plant?
Learn How To Plant, Care, and Grow Spectacular Sea Holly (Eryngium) Attractive, Sea Holly plants (Eryngium) are striking ornamental perennials grown for their arresting, thistle-like, silvery, or blue-tinted flower heads adorned with a ruff of showy bracts.
What are the best sea holly plants?
Sea holly (Eryngium x zabellii ‘Blue Waves’) A popular choice for the best coastal plants, the striking silver foliage and architectural blooms of sea holly, with its prickly cone-like heads, will add texture to your garden borders. It copes in the sandy soils common in seaside gardens.
Do sea holly plants recover slowly?
Sea Holly, specifically Eryngium Big Blue, will be slow to recover. It is a larger Sea Holly with arresting electric blue flowers that reach 4 inches across. The plant has intense blue color that extends down the stems and holds well when dried. Its green spiky foliage completes the appearance.
Can sea holly flowers be transplanted?
The sea holly flowers are good as fresh cut flowers and make superb dried flowers too. These plants are unique with spiny and toothed leaves and with clusters of steel blue or white thistle like flowers. It is difficult to transplant the established plants as they develop tap roots. Removal of spent flowers prevents the chances of self-seeding.
Are sea holly flowers good for a garden?
Sea Holly flowers or Eryngium varieties are striking plants suitable for any garden. These plants are native to the European and Mediterranean region and are highly resistant to drought conditions. They can withstand winds, sandy soils, and salt sprays. They can be grown in garden beds or as borders and in butterfly gardens.
Are sea hollies perennial?
Most Sea Holly species are reliably perennial in Hardiness Zones 4 – 9. Exceptionally hardy, Eryngium alpinum is perennial in Zone 2. Eryngium amethystinum and Eryngium yuccifolium are perennial in Zones 3.