Scientific Name:
Eryngium alpinum
Pronunciation:
ur-IN-jee-um al-PYE-num
Common Name:
alpine sea holly
Family Name:
Apiaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Thistle-like in appearance; stems bluish; basal leaves undivided, ovate, most blades 10-15cm long x 5-13cm wide, margin with large, margin dentate, petioles 10-20cm long; stem leaves smaller, sessile, ovate, palmately-divided into 3 lobes, margin spinose; flower 'heads' egg-shaped, blue-violet, to 5cm long, surrounded by a by 12-18 attractive, finely-divided, spiny-toothed, blue-gray bracts that extend from the base of each flower head.
Habit:
Spreading
Form:
Mounded
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Europe
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 2: (-46 to -40 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Rocky or gravelly or dry, Well-drained
Water Use:
Low, Winter dry, Summer dry
Landscape Uses:
Accent plant, Attract beneficial insects, Cut flower or foliage, Dried flower or fruit, Fall interest, Perennial border, Summer interest
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate, Basal
Texture/Venation:
Leathery, Heavily veined, Palmate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Summer:
Bluish
Colour in Fall:
Bluish
Shapes:
Ovate, Reniform, Other
Apices:
Emarginate or retuse
Bases:
Truncate
Margins:
Dentate, Pinnately lobed, Spinose
Inflorescence Type:
Umbel, Floriferous, Head-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Funnelform
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Blue
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul, Aug
Fruit Type:
Achene, Schizocarp
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Aug
Additional Info:
Showy
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey, Green, Red
Organ Modifications:
Storage tap root
Propagation:
Seed, Division - above ground parts
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Crown rot, Mildew, Root rot, Slugs or snails (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Rabbit resistant, Drought tolerant)
