Variable-leaved Sea-holly

One of the best sea-hollies, also known as the marble-leaved sea-holly, Eryngium variifolium is a long-lived, evergreen perennial with a clump-forming habit, perfect in a gravel planting or at the front of a sunny border in very free-draining soil. From a flat rosette of rounded, waxy, basal leaves marbled with beautiful white veins, branched stems arise, bearing spiky, marbled, green leaves. From early summer to late summer, the plant bears sprays of silvery-blue, cone-shaped flowers, each surrounded by a ring of jagged, silvery-blue bracts. Good in poorer soils and coastal gardens, variable-leaved sea-holly is good for cutting and for drying. It dislikes wet winters and being shaded by other plants, and, despite coming from the Atlas mountains, it is not for the coldest areas.

Site: Tolerates exposure, including coastal exposure
Soil: Any light, dry, very well-drained soil; tolerates poor, dry soils
Position: Full sun
Season of interest: Summer and autumn
Hardiness: Fairly hardy (to -5ºC)
Height: 16” (40cm) Spread: 1’ (30cm)

Photos by Peganum and Ghislain, cropped, and licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.