sea holly (Eryngium planum) plant — close-up photo
Easy to grow

sea holly

Eryngium planum

Overview

Sea holly is an amazing plant species with beautiful, deeply-lobed spiky leaves and lovely bluey-purple thistle-like flowers. It is an excellent choice for providing height and contrast in the garden and looks great when planted in clumps. It is also a great choice for coastal gardens due to its hardiness and drought tolerance. The flower heads are great for cutting and lasting up to 3 weeks in a vase. Best of all, it is attractive to bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects, making it a valuable and beautiful addition to any garden.

Care Guide

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Watering

Sea holly should be watered regularly to keep the soil moist but not soggy. Water whenever the top inch of soil begins to feel dry to the touch. During the warm summer months, water at least once a week, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. In the winter, water once every 10 to 14 days. Avoid overhead watering to keep the foliage from becoming too wet, which can attract fungus and pests.

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Light

Sea holly plants prefer full sun exposure in order to thrive. The ideal amount of sunlight for sea holly is 8 hours a day. Sea holly should get the most amount of sunlight between the hours of 10am and 4pm when the sun's intensity is at its peak. This will give the sea holly the best chance of success and flower production.

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Soil

Well-drained

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Temperature

Hardiness zone 5–9.

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Pruning

Sea holly (Eryngium planum) should be pruned in early spring, when new growth begins to appear. Pruning should take place when the plant is still young, before it blooms, as too much pruning can cause a decrease in flowering. Prune back damaged or overcrowded stems to a side shoot. Pruning should always be done sparingly; only remove a few stems at a time and reduce the stems to no more than 1 third of their original length. This will help keep the plant healthy and vigorous.

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Propagation

Division, Cutting, Seed Propagation, Layering Propagation

Diseases & Pests

Common pests: Rabbit resistant, Drought resistant.

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