Eryngium/Sea Holly

[hamsterqueen]

I saw this at flower shows and ordered a couple of plants, they arrived when I didn't have time to plant them where I wanted , so I just shoved them in the end of a veggie raised bed. One survived and is absolutely covered every day with bees and hover flies. It looks gorgeous, but I think I am going to leave it where it is, as it is attracting so many lovely, helpful insects

[Glutton4...]

I used to have one, and one of my Customers does - the Bees love 'em!

[Martin H]

Ooh, you've just reminded me!

I was at RHS garden Hyde Hall a couple of weeks back and they had a patch of a blue variety of sea holly that was so stunning I took a picture to remind me to find a supplier. Here it is:



I'm definitely going to get some of this. The species is nice but this one is special.

[hamsterqueen]

they are beautiful, saw some growing wild in NI and thought at first they had been sprayed!


From Wikipedia:

The plant is native to the eastern Mediterranean and prefers dry places and soils that are rich in calcium. Explains why it is so happy here on the white cliffs, in a raised bed..