Eryngium bourgatii Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Eryngium bourgatii — 17cm / 2L
Mediterranean Sea Holly

Eryngium bourgatii

£13.99
Hardy in the UKSun-lovingLoved by pollinators
Pot size
17cm / 2L £13.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

The Eryngium bourgatii, or Mediterranean sea holly, 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.

Native 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.

Plant it in bold drifts near the front of a sunny border, where the silver foliage and blue flowers weave beautifully through grasses and other exotic border plants. It is a natural partner for our wider range of hardy exotics, adds real presence to architectural foliage schemes, and earns its place in any planting designed for wildlife and pollinators. For a sense of how it changes with the seasons, see our guide on what to expect from hardy exotics.

Every 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.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Mediterranean Sea Holly

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Mediterranean Sea Holly

Eryngium bourgatii needs full sun and well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −15°C and stands a UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Architectural Dry & Gravel Gardens Exotic Borders Wildlife & Pollinators

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H5 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −15°C

fully hardy (RHS H5); simply leave the crown to overwinter and cut back old growth in spring.

Position

Full sunSouth-facingEast-facingWest-facingExposedSheltered

full sun in an open spot; happy in dry and gravel gardens and exposed, coastal sites.

Soil

ChalkLoamSandWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

sharply drained chalk, loam or sand across the full pH range, poor to moderately fertile. Avoid heavy, wet ground.

Watering

Water through the first summer to settle the roots, then leave it largely to its own devices. Once established it is genuinely drought-tolerant and needs little more than free-draining soil. Go easy on feeding, as lean conditions give the sturdiest stems and the best flower colour, and leave the seed heads standing for winter structure. Read moreShow less

Water through the first summer to settle the roots, then leave it largely to its own devices. Once established it is genuinely drought-tolerant and needs little more than free-draining soil. Go easy on feeding, as lean conditions give the sturdiest stems and the best flower colour, and leave the seed heads standing for winter structure.

Mature size

Height0.3-0.5 m
Spread0.3-0.5 m

Reaches full size in 2-5 years

Growth habit

Clump-forming

Flowering

Jun-Aug · Blue

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Deciduous

Pruning

Cut the spent flower stems down to the crown, either in autumn or, better, in early spring when you tidy the plant.

Toxicity

The flower heads are ringed by spiny bracts that can prick bare skin, so wear gloves when cutting or handling. Not known to be toxic to people or pets.

Native range

Pyrenees to Morocco

Family

Apiaceae

Also known as

Eryngium bourgatii

Genus

Eryngium
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Eryngium bourgatii fully hardy in the UK?

Yes. Mediterranean sea holly is rated RHS H5, so it is fully hardy across most of the UK and shrugs off hard frost once established. It dies back below ground in winter and reshoots in spring. On heavy soils the main risk is winter wet rather than cold, so sharp drainage matters more than any protection. See our guide on what to expect from hardy exotics.

Does Eryngium bourgatii come back every year?

It does. This is a hardy herbaceous perennial that dies down each winter and returns from the crown in spring, growing a little larger each year until it reaches full size in two to five years. Browse more long-lived hardy exotics to plant alongside it.

Where is the best place to plant Mediterranean sea holly?

Give it full sun and free-draining soil. It is at its best in dry and gravel gardens and sunny, exposed borders, where the silver foliage and steel-blue flower heads really shine. It also earns a place in exotic border and architectural planting schemes.

Is Eryngium bourgatii good for bees and pollinators?

Very. The nectar-rich summer flower heads are a magnet for bees, butterflies and hoverflies, which makes it a standout choice for wildlife and pollinator planting. Leaving the seed heads to stand also feeds birds and adds winter structure.

How much watering and care does sea holly need?

Very little. Water through the first summer to settle the roots, then leave it be, as it is genuinely drought-tolerant once established. Go easy on feeding, since lean soil gives the sturdiest stems and best flower colour, and simply cut back the old growth in spring. It fits naturally into low-maintenance drought-tolerant planting.

Can I grow Eryngium bourgatii in a pot or coastal garden?

Yes to both. Its deep tap root prefers an open border, but it grows well in a deep, free-draining container, which makes it a good candidate for pots and patios. It is also tolerant of salt-laden wind, so it thrives in coastal and exposed gardens.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Eryngium bourgatii
£13.99