Sea holly is an eye-catching perennial that adds unique texture and visual interest to gardens and flower arrangements. Known for its prickly silver-blue foliage and vibrant blue flowers, sea holly plants have become increasingly popular with gardeners looking to add striking plants to their landscapes. Luckily, it’s easy to find high-quality sea holly plants for sale from reputable online nurseries.
What is Sea Holly?
Sea holly also known as eryngium is a genus of flowering plants in the Apiaceae family. There are over 250 species of sea holly, which are native to Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and Africa. These hardy perennials are named for their resemblance to holly plants, with their spiky silver-blue leaves and vibrant blue flower bracts.
Sea holly plants have a long bloom time, with flowers appearing in summer and lasting through fall The flowers are small and clustered into dense, cone-shaped flower heads surrounded by showy blue bracts These unusual blooms are a magnet for pollinators like bees, butterflies and beneficial insects.
In addition to their ornamental flowers, sea holly is prized for its unique foliage. The deeply cut, spiny leaves have a distinctive silvery sheen, resembling frosted metal. The foliage remains attractive all season, taking on reddish-bronze hues in fall. Overall, sea holly provides excellent textural contrast in gardens.
Growing Conditions for Sea Holly Plants
One of the best things about sea holly is that it thrives in a variety of conditions. This rugged perennial is cold hardy to zone 4 and is quite drought tolerant once established. Sea holly does best in full sun and average to dry soils with good drainage. The plants have long taproots, so they don’t like to be frequently disturbed.
Sea holly can tolerate coastal conditions, heat, humidity and some shade. Good airflow is beneficial to prevent fungal diseases in humid climates. These plants have few pest or disease problems overall. With proper siting and care, sea holly plants are quite easy to grow.
How to Use Sea Holly in the Landscape
There are many ways to showcase sea holly’s unique beauty in gardens:
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Borders and beds: Plant sea holly in perennial or mixed borders. Allow plenty of space between plants to account for their large mature size. They make striking anchors or focal points.
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Containers: Sea holly looks fantastic in pots and planters. Choose compact varieties for smaller containers. Provide well-draining soil and allow the plants to become rootbound.
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Cottage gardens: The spiky texture of sea holly contrasts beautifully with soft, informal plants like catmint and yarrow. It fits right in with other cottage garden staples.
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Cut flowers: Sea holly’s long-lasting blooms make gorgeous fresh cut flowers. The dried seed heads are also very decorative.
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Pollinator gardens: Butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects flock to the nectar-rich flowers. Grow sea holly in a sunny pollinator patch.
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Coastal gardens: With their tolerance of salt spray and wind, sea holly varieties are excellent choices for seaside gardens.
Where to Buy Sea Holly Plants for Sale Online
If you’ve been inspired to add sea holly to your garden, you may be wondering where to find plants for sale. Shopping online with reputable nurseries is the easiest way to get sea holly delivered straight to your door. Avoid the hassle of driving to garden centers and planting centers. Here are some top recommendations for where to buy sea holly plants online:
Wilson Bros Gardens
- Family-owned nursery with decades of experience shipping healthy plants nationwide
- Wide selection of popular sea holly varieties like Blue Hobbit and Blue Cap
- Various sizes available from quart pots to 1 gallon containers
- Free shipping on all orders
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
White Flower Farm
- Trusted source for perennials, shrubs and bulbs since 1950
- Good selection of sea holly including Miss Willmott’s Ghost and Sapphire Blue Giant
- Free shipping on orders over $100
- Plants shipped at proper planting time for your zone
Bluestone Perennials
- Extensive selection of over 1,800 perennial plants
- Specializes in field grown, hardy perennials
- Sea holly varieties including Blue Glitter and Big Blue offered
- Volume discounts available
- Plants shipped within 1-2 days of ordering
Joy Creek Nursery
- Family-owned nursery focused on unique garden plants
- Several sea holly varieties offered like Irish Lace and Blue Star
- Plants shipped in pots to avoid root disturbance
- Care guides provided for all plants
- Free shipping on orders over $100
Sea Holly Varieties to Try
With so many sea holly varieties available, it can be tough to decide which to choose. Here are some of the most popular kinds to consider:
- Blue Hobbit – Compact 12-18” variety with silver foliage and electric blue blooms. Great for containers.
- Blue Glitter – Mid-size 24-30” plant with intense metallic blue flowers on dark stems.
- Big Blue – Tall sea holly growing 36-48” with large blue flower heads. Provides strong vertical accent.
- Sapphire Blue Giant – Huge 5 foot giant sea holly with massive glowing blue blooms over 2” wide. Stunning statement piece.
- Irish Lace – Heavily cut silvery foliage and white blooms create frothy texture. Good contrast to blue varieties.
- Miss Willmott’s Ghost – Elegant white bracts flushed with green make a delicate statement. Grows 18-24” tall.
With its unique beauty and easy care nature, sea holly is a wonderful addition to nearly any sunny garden. Take advantage of the wide selection of sea holly plants for sale online to find the perfect varieties for your landscape. Let these amazing perennials bring some spiky structure and vibrant color to your beds, borders and containers this season.
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Blue Sea Holly – Eryngium – Unusual flowering perennial for the garden
FAQ
When should you plant sea holly?
Spring is the best time to plant mature plants—sea holly will grow quickly, and semi-mature nursery plants will flower in their first season. Sow seeds in late summer or fall, and they’ll germinate in spring.
Where is the best place to plant sea holly?
Where to grow eryngiums. Eryngiums need plenty of sunshine and free-draining soil. They can tolerate poor soil, and a spot at the foot of a wall is a good position as the soil will remain dry over winter. It’s also a good idea to plant eryngiums away from the edge of a border or path, as their spikes can be quite sharp …
Which is the best sea holly?
- Blue eryngo (Eryngium planum)
- Alpine eryngo (Eryngium alpinum)
- Miss Willmott’s ghost (Eryngium giganteum)
- Mediterranean sea holly (Eryngium bourgatii)
- Agave-leaved sea holly (Eryngium agavifolium)
- Rattlesnake-master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
Is sea holly the same as blue thistle?
Sea holly usually refers to plants in the genus Eryngium and belongs to the Apiaceae family. Blue thistle is a common name for sea holly.
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.
Are sea holly plants slow to recover?
Plants will be slow to recover. Eryngium Big Blue – Common name: Sea Holly – A larger Sea Holly with arresting, electric blue flowers that will reach 4″ across. Eryngium Big Blue has an intense blue color that extends down the stems and holds well when dried. Green, spiky foliage.
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.
What is a big blue sea holly?
A larger Sea Holly with arresting, electric blue flowers that will reach 4″ across. Eryngium Big Blue has an intense blue color that extends down the stems and holds well when dried. Green, spiky foliage. A Blooms of Bressingham variety selected for outstanding qualities, reliable growing performance, and stunning beauty.
How do you grow a sea holly?
Cut down flower stems to prevent seeding or let it fill in a difficult spot. A long taproot makes it difficult to move or divide this plant, but can be done in spring if necessary. Plants will be slow to recover. Eryngium Big Blue – Common name: Sea Holly – A larger Sea Holly with arresting, electric blue flowers that will reach 4″ across.
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.