Skip to content
Log inStart trial

Sea Holly

Eryngium Maritimum

Design with this plant

Overview

Sea Holly, or Eryngium maritimum, is a striking perennial suitable for coastal themes. It boasts silvery-blue, thistle-like blooms atop 2-3 feet stems, with a spread of up to 18 inches. This tough plant thrives in full sun, in well-drained soil, and tolerates drought and poor soils. Its unique texture and structure add visual interest from summer to early fall, attracting pollinators while deterring deer. USDA zones 5-9.

Sun FullWater LowZones 5–10Type PerennialClimate Temperate
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — A resilient coastal plant; it thrives in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — These distinctive flowers; topped with cone-shaped flower heads surrounded by a ruff of spiny bracts, image 92Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — blue flowers in the garden; which add a unique texture and a touch of steel blue to the landscape, image 98Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — peaking at approximately 1 to 2 inches in diameterSea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — perennial for fullSea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — tolerating harsh seaside conditions and poor; perennial with blue bloomsSea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — it thrives in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9; these distinctive flowers, image 60+130

Culture

Sun
Full
Water
Low
USDA zones
5–10

Shape & size

Mature height
2–3 Ft.
Mature width
2–3 Ft.

Classification

Type
Perennial
Family
Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)
Climate
Temperate

See full data, regional cultivation notes, and design tools. Build a client presentation around this plant.

Start your 14-day trial

Photos (137)

Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — A resilient coastal plant; it thrives in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — These distinctive flowers; topped with cone-shaped flower heads surrounded by a ruff of spiny bracts, image 92
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — blue flowers in the garden; which add a unique texture and a touch of steel blue to the landscape, image 98
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — peaking at approximately 1 to 2 inches in diameter
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — perennial for full
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — tolerating harsh seaside conditions and poor; perennial with blue blooms
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — it thrives in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9; these distinctive flowers, image 60
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — making it an excellent choice for filling mid-level layers in a garden design.<br><br>The deeply lobed, image 88
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — perennial with blue blooms; branched stems rise in summer, image 99
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — perennial with blue blooms
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — It boasts silvery-blue, thistle-like blooms atop 2-3 feet stems, with a spread of up to 18 inches; tolerating, image 102
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — are a magnet for pollinators like bees and butterflies; attracting pollinators while deterring deer
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — topped with cone-shaped flower heads surrounded by a ruff of spiny bracts; a resilient coastal plant, image 91
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — tolerating harsh seaside conditions and poor; perennial with blue blooms, image 86
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — It boasts silvery-blue, thistle-like blooms atop 2-3 feet stems, with a spread of up to 18 inches
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — Minimal maintenance is required, though it may benefit from protection in areas with extremely cold winters; are a, image 71
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — This tough plant thrives in full sun, in well-drained soil, and tolerates drought and poor soils; peaking at, image 78
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — blue flowers in the garden; which add a unique texture and a touch of steel blue to the landscape, image 73
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — perennial for full; with its bold form and captivating color, image 75
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — Sea Holly, or Eryngium maritimum, is a striking perennial suitable for coastal themes
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — Sea Holly, or Eryngium maritimum, is a striking perennial suitable for coastal themes; its unique texture and, image 101
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — tolerating harsh seaside conditions and poor; perennial with blue blooms, image 111
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — blue flowers in the garden
Sea Holly (Eryngium Maritimum) — A resilient coastal plant; it thrives in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9, image 59
Photographs by 18 contributors

Related plants

Big Blue Sea Holly (Eryngium X Zabelii 'Big Blue') — steel-blue flowers and spiny

Perennial

Big Blue Sea Holly

Eryngium X Zabelii 'Big Blue'

FullUSDA 2–9
Bishop's Weed (Aegopodium Podagraria) — it thrives under a range of light conditions

Ground cover

Bishop's Weed

Aegopodium Podagraria

FullUSDA 2–8
Blue Glitter Sea Holly (Eryngium Planum 'Blue Glitter') — adding texture and color to borders and rock gardens

Perennial

Blue Glitter Sea Holly

Eryngium Planum 'Blue Glitter'

FullUSDA 4–8
Blue Or False Sea Holly (Eryngium Planum) — This drought-tolerant plant thrives in full sun and well-drained soil; including bees and butterflies

Perennial

Blue Or False Sea Holly

Eryngium Planum

FullUSDA 2–9
Carrot (Daucus Carota) — the foliage reaches heights of about 12 inches

Vegetable

Carrot

Daucus Carota

FullUSDA 1–11
Cilantro (Coriandrum Sativum) — pinnate leaves that are bright green in color; bolt-resistant varieties extend the harvest season in warmer climates

Annual

Cilantro

Coriandrum Sativum

FullUSDA 2–11