Looking to brighten up your garden with a splash of color? Consider adding Sea Holly, a spiky blue plant perfect for your border garden.
Its bold, vibrant hue and distinctive shape stand out beautifully against other plants and add a fresh, lively touch to your outdoor space.
If you’re searching for something special to enhance your garden, Sea Holly could be just what you need!
What is Sea Holly
The Sea Holly (Eryngium maritimum) plant is popular in gardens for its distinctive look and hardiness. Sea Holly plants are often used in landscaping to add texture and interest, especially in border gardens or mixed flower beds.
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Characteristics
- Appearance: Sea Holly plants have spiky, often metallic-looking flowers that can be blue, purple, or silver. The flowers are surrounded by sharp, thorny leaves that give the plant a barbed, dramatic appearance.
- Size: They can vary in size, but most Sea Holly plants grow between one to three feet tall. Their spreading nature makes them great for filling out garden spaces.
- Leaves: The leaves of Sea Holly are usually deeply lobed and prickly. This unique leaf shape adds to the plant’s distinctive look.
- Flowers: The flowers are small but clustered tightly together to form a bold, rounded shape. They also attract bees and butterflies, making them a good choice for pollinator-friendly gardens.
How to Grow Sea Holly
Growing Sea Holly is beneficial to your border garden, thanks to its noteworthy appearance and relatively easy care.
Here’s are simple steps on how to grow and care for this beautiful plant:
1. Choosing the Right Location
Sea Holly thrives in full sun, which means it needs at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. Choose a location that receives plenty of sun throughout the day.
In addition, opt for well-drained soil. Sea Holly can tolerate poor soil conditions and is drought-tolerant, but it prefers soil that doesn’t stay soggy. If your soil is heavy or clayey, consider amending it with sand or organic matter to improve drainage.
2. Preparing the Soil
Loosen the soil to a depth of about 12 inches. Incorporate compost or well-rotted manure to enhance soil fertility and structure. Ensure the soil is well-draining to prevent root rot.
Sea Holly is also adaptable to different soil pH levels but performs best in slightly alkaline to neutral soil.
3. Planting Sea Holly
The best time to plant Sea Holly is in the spring after the last frost or in the fall before the ground freezes. This allows the plant to establish roots before extreme weather conditions.
Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart to give them room to grow and spread. This will prevent overcrowding and allow for good air circulation.
For its planting depth, dig a hole that is about twice as wide as the root ball of the plant. Place the plant in the hole so that the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface. Fill in with soil and gently tamp it down.
Caring For & Maintaining Sea Holly
Sea Holly is a low-maintenance plant that doesn’t need a lot of fuss. With these simple steps, your Sea Holly will stay healthy and vibrant.
1. Watering
Right after you plant Sea Holly, give it a good drink of water. This helps settle the soil around the roots. Once the plant is established, it doesn’t need a lot of water.
Water it when the top inch of soil feels dry. Be careful not to overwater because Sea Holly doesn’t like soggy soil.
2. Fertilizing
Sea Holly isn’t a heavy feeder and doesn’t need a lot of fertilizer. If you want to feed it, do so in early spring when new growth starts.
Use a balanced fertilizer with equal parts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Follow the instructions on the fertilizer package for the amounts to use.
3. Pruning
Trim off any dead or damaged parts of the plant to keep it healthy and looking neat. Remove old flowers after they fade to encourage more blooms and keep the plant looking tidy.
4. Keeping Weeds Away
Make sure the area around your Sea Holly is free of weeds since they can take away water and nutrients from the plant. You can pull them out by hand or use a hoe to keep the area clean.
5. Controlling Pest & Disease
Sea Holly is usually not bothered by pests, but keep an eye out for bugs like aphids or spider mites. If you see any, you can use insecticidal soap or a garden spray to get rid of them.
Sea Holly is generally resistant to diseases, but good air circulation and not overwatering help prevent any issues.
6. Caring during Winter
In cold climates, add a layer of mulch around the base of the plant in late fall to protect the roots from freezing temperatures. You can cut it back in late fall or early spring before new growth starts to keep the garden looking neat and prepare the Sea Holly for a new growing season.
Uses of Sea Holly
Sea Holly is not just a pretty plant; it has many practical uses making it a great addition to many different garden settings.
1. Garden Decoration
Sea Holly is used in gardens for its unique and striking appearance. Its spiky, colorful flowers and dramatic shape make it a standout plant in flower beds, borders, or mixed gardens. It adds texture and interest to garden designs. The unusual leaves and flowers can contrast nicely with softer, more traditional plants.
2. Medicinal & Culinary Uses
According to a study, Sea Holly contains strong phenolic compounds, which are known for their health benefits, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.(ref)
Sea Holly can be used to add flavor to sauces and puddings, or to create candied treats known as Eringos. Additionally, its young shoots can be blanched and cooked as a substitute for asparagus.
3. Attracting Wildlife
Sea Holly attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. These insects are important for pollinating flowers and plants, which helps your garden thrive. Including Sea Holly in your garden can create a more diverse and wildlife-friendly environment.
4. Dried Arrangements
Its flowers are great for cutting and use in flower arrangements. They hold their shape and color well, even after drying. Dried Sea Holly can also be used in wreaths, bouquets, and other craft projects, adding a unique touch to decorations.
5. Low-Maintenance Landscaping
Sea Holly is low-maintenance and drought-tolerant once established. It’s a good choice for low-maintenance gardens or for planting in challenging spots where other plants might struggle.
Sea Holly’s shape and color bring a fresh and interesting touch to your border garden, making it truly stand out.
Nancy has been a plant person from an early age. That interest blossomed into a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Nancy worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.