Eryngium bourgatii Flower (30/06/2012, Kew Gardens, London)
Position: Full sun
Flowering period: Summer
Soil: Moist, well drained
Eventual Height: 45cm
Eventual Spread: 30cm
Hardiness: 5b – 9a
Family: Apiaceae
Eryngium bourgatii is a deciduous herbaceous perennial. Its silver/ blue/ green leaves are pinnatified with spiny margins, have a mottled surface and are up to 15cm long. Its flower stems are branched and blue/ purple and rise above the leaves. Its blue/ purple flowers are cone shaped with silver/ blue bracts at their base and the whole inflorescence’s are up to 6cm across.
Eryngium bourgatii, commonly known as the Mediterranean Sea Holly, Pyrenean Eryngo or Sea Holly, is native to the Mediterranean region.
The etymological root of the binomial name Eryngium is derived from the Greek hruggion, a name given by Theophrastus for ”a spiny leaved plant’. Bourgatii is named after the plant collector M. Bourgat.
Eryngium bourgatii (30/06/2012, Kew Gardens, London)
The landscape architect may find Eryngium bourgatii useful prairie style planting schemes. Once established this plant is drought tolerant.
Ecologically, E. bourgatii is attractive to pollinating insects.
The Royal Horticultural Society has given the variety E. bourgatii ‘Oxford Blue’ their prestigious Award of Garden Merit in 1993.
E. bourgatii prefers moist, well-drained soils. It tolerates most pH of soil. It will not tolerate wet soils in thew winter months.
Eryngium bourgatii requires little maintenance.