SEA HOLLY Eryngium maritimum

Celyn y Môr

A glaucous, spiny-leaved perennial herb with stunning rounded, blue flower heads confined to coast lines and sand dunes.

Sea Holly is a valuable plant for wildlife. Its nectar-rich, thistle-like flowers are a magnet for bees and butterflies, while its seeds offer a food source for birds like goldfinches and linnets.

According to Shakespeare, it became very poplar during Elizabethan times as an aphrodisiac. The deep roots were also sugared and sold as sweets!

A species in decline.

Height: 60cm

Flowers: January to December

Colour: Blue