{"title":"Sea Holly (Eryngium)","description":"\u003cp\u003eSea holly is one of the most striking perennials you can grow. Metallic, thistle-like flowers in steely blues and silvers give a border a spiky, architectural edge, and the bees adore them.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"eryngium-agavifolium","title":"Eryngium agavifolium","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eEryngium agavifolium\u003c\/strong\u003e, or \u003cstrong\u003eagave-leaved sea holly\u003c\/strong\u003e, is one of the most striking architectural perennials you can grow for a hot, sunny border. It forms a bold evergreen rosette of long, sword-shaped leaves edged with sharp, agave-like teeth, and in summer it sends up branched stems topped with cylindrical, greenish-white thimble flowerheads. The effect is pure structure, a fountain of spiky foliage crowned by cool green cones that hold for weeks.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNative to Argentina and rated RHS H4, it is hardy across most of the UK, shrugging off temperatures to around -10C once established given sharp drainage. Because the rosette is evergreen it earns its place all year, keeping form through winter when so much of the border has died back. It is a natural partner for other \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hardy-exotics\"\u003ehardy exotics\u003c\/a\u003e and looks especially at home threaded through \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/exotic-border-plants\"\u003eexotic border plants\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow and where to grow\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePosition:\u003c\/strong\u003e full sun for the tightest rosette and strongest flower stems, in either exposed or sheltered sites.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e any sharply drained soil, from chalk to sand, across the full pH range, since standing winter moisture is what it least tolerates.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e reaching around 1.5 m tall in flower with a compact 0.6 m spread.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e hardy across most of the UK, asking only for sharp drainage to shrug off frost.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eWonderfully drought tolerant once settled, it thrives on poor, free-draining ground where fussier plants struggle, making it a star of gravel schemes and one of our favourite \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/drought-tolerant-plants\"\u003edrought tolerant plants\u003c\/a\u003e. Its green summer cones are magnets for bees and hoverflies, so it sits happily among \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-pollinators\"\u003eplants for pollinators\u003c\/a\u003e, while its emphatic silhouette makes it a keystone of any \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/architectural-foliage\"\u003earchitectural foliage\u003c\/a\u003e planting.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor a sense of how this evergreen perennial shifts with the seasons, see our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/hardy-exotics-what-to-expect\"\u003ewhat to expect from hardy exotics\u003c\/a\u003e. Every plant we supply is nursery-grown, carefully selected for a healthy crown and strong roots, and packed with care to arrive in superb condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GROW TROPICALS","offers":[{"title":"17cm \/ 2L","offer_id":57969806770559,"sku":"ERYNAGAV17","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0361\/9645\/0348\/files\/agavifolium.jpg?v=1784904798"},{"product_id":"eryngium-bourgatii","title":"Eryngium bourgatii","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eEryngium bourgatii\u003c\/strong\u003e, or \u003cstrong\u003eMediterranean sea holly\u003c\/strong\u003e, is one of the most striking hardy perennials you can grow for a hot, sunny border. Rosettes of deeply cut, dark green leaves are marbled with bold silvery-white veins, and from these rise branching, steel-blue stems topped with cone-shaped flower heads ringed by spiny, silver-blue bracts. It brings a jewel-like, architectural sparkle to gravel gardens and dry borders right through high summer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNative from the Pyrenees to Morocco, this is a tough, sun-loving plant built for lean conditions. It is fully hardy in the UK (RHS H5) and dies back below ground each winter before reshooting in spring, so it needs no protection beyond good drainage. Once settled it is impressively drought-tolerant, and its nectar-rich summer flowers are a magnet for bees, butterflies and hoverflies. The seed heads dry beautifully, holding their shape for cutting or left to stand for winter structure.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow and where to grow\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePosition:\u003c\/strong\u003e full sun in an open spot; happy in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/drought-tolerant-plants\"\u003edry and gravel gardens\u003c\/a\u003e and exposed, coastal sites.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e sharply drained chalk, loam or sand across the full pH range, poor to moderately fertile. Avoid heavy, wet ground.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e clump-forming to around 0.45 m tall and 0.3 m across, reaching full size in two to five years.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e fully hardy (RHS H5); simply leave the crown to overwinter and cut back old growth in spring.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlant it in bold drifts near the front of a sunny border, where the silver foliage and blue flowers weave beautifully through grasses and other \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/exotic-border-plants\"\u003eexotic border plants\u003c\/a\u003e. It is a natural partner for our wider range of \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hardy-exotics\"\u003ehardy exotics\u003c\/a\u003e, adds real presence to \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/architectural-foliage\"\u003earchitectural foliage\u003c\/a\u003e schemes, and earns its place in any planting designed for \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-pollinators\"\u003ewildlife and pollinators\u003c\/a\u003e. For a sense of how it changes with the seasons, see our guide on \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/hardy-exotics-what-to-expect\"\u003ewhat to expect from hardy exotics\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery plant we supply is nursery-grown, carefully selected for a strong crown and healthy root system, and packed with care to arrive in superb condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GROW TROPICALS","offers":[{"title":"17cm \/ 2L","offer_id":57972910653823,"sku":"ERYNBOUR17","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0361\/9645\/0348\/files\/iStock-1987804360.jpg?v=1784328202"},{"product_id":"eryngium-variifolium","title":"Eryngium variifolium","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eEryngium variifolium\u003c\/strong\u003e, better known as the \u003cstrong\u003eMoroccan Sea Holly\u003c\/strong\u003e, is a compact evergreen perennial that earns its place through year-round structure. Where most sea hollies vanish below ground in winter, this Atlas Mountains native holds a tidy rosette of rounded, dark-green leaves veined and marbled in silvery white, giving architectural interest in every season.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn summer it sends up branched, stiffly upright stems topped with small, cone-shaped flowerheads in a metallic silver-blue, each cradled by a ruff of narrow, spiny bracts. The effect is jewel-like and thistle-sharp, and the nectar-rich blooms are a magnet for bees and butterflies. Rated RHS H4 and hardy to around -10C, it is fully hardy across most of the UK and genuinely drought tolerant once settled.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow and where to grow\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePosition:\u003c\/strong\u003e full sun, ideally a south or west facing spot for the best flower colour and the most compact growth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e poor to moderately fertile and sharply drained, on chalk, loam or sand across the full pH range.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e a neat 30 to 40cm tall and 25 to 30cm wide, reaching its modest final size in two to five years.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e fully hardy to about -10C; the only real enemy is cold, wet soil in winter, so drainage is everything.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eWater through the first summer to build a strong root system, after which it needs almost no attention and no feeding. Its love of lean, free-draining ground makes it a natural choice for \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/drought-tolerant-plants\"\u003edrought tolerant\u003c\/a\u003e and gravel schemes, while the silver-blue flowers and evergreen rosettes lift the front of \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/exotic-border-plants\"\u003eexotic borders\u003c\/a\u003e. The compact habit also suits \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-pots\"\u003egrowing in pots\u003c\/a\u003e, and the summer blooms make it one of our favourite \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-pollinators\"\u003eplants for pollinators\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart of our wider \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hardy-exotics\"\u003ehardy exotics\u003c\/a\u003e collection, every Eryngium variifolium we supply is nursery-grown, carefully selected for a healthy crown and strong roots, and packed with care to arrive in superb condition. For a sense of how hardy exotics behave through the year, see our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/hardy-exotics-what-to-expect\"\u003ewhat to expect\u003c\/a\u003e guide.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GROW TROPICALS","offers":[{"title":"17cm \/ 2L","offer_id":57973037465983,"sku":"ERYNVARI17","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0361\/9645\/0348\/files\/iStock-2194084525.jpg?v=1784328262"}],"url":"https:\/\/growtropicals.com\/collections\/sea-holly.oembed","provider":"GrowTropicals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}