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Sea Holly or Eryngium Front of Border Plant??

13 years ago

I've never grown Sea Holly so I don't know what the plant's appearance is like. I'm thinking of planting several of the variety called 'Sapphire Blue'. They look as if they could be rangy or gangly looking. Is their growth habit nice enough in appearance to be placed in front of the border?

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Comments (7)

gardenweed_z6a
13 years ago
They bloom fairly early here (CT) and after the color fades, all that's left is gray/silver the rest of the season. I don't have them in front but even behind other things I'm not happy with them. They keep their form but I'm really not impressed with how they look once they pass their prime. Given my druthers, I'd plant something else, maybe stokesia, in the same spot. Just my opinion--others may weigh in in their favor.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
13 years ago
The selection 'Sapphire Blue' is a taller growing form and can be a bit leggy or rangy.....wouldn't be my first choice for a front of the border position. Here they bloom in midsummer and hold their appearance quite well (summer here tends to be on the cool side). Wherever you decide to plant, make sure that's going to be just the right place! Eryngiums have some serious tap roots and are hard to relocate.
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I grow "Blue Hobbit" sea holly, which is a dwarf variety. I started it from seed last spring, and it did flower for me, but I seem to remember that being a feature of this particular variety. However, if you are getting a root, I think there may be a good possibility for flowering. Not totally sure though, because my experience with sea holly is very limited! I did like Blue Hobbit though; it is quite cute. VERY small though. I'm guessing it'll get bigger this year, assuming it comes back, but probably never over a foot x a foot. I think it was easy to grow...just DON'T overwater. I think good drainage is an absolute must. And try to plant it where you are going to keep it..I transplanted one of mine, and I had to cut off a ginormous tap root - even though I had only moved it out of it's little starter pot a month before! So I wouldn't be surprised if that one kicks the bucket this winter. They do look pretty cool..Blue Hobbit is VERY blue. I found that it was hard to place with my other plants, though. I don't know what to plant next to it to complement it! It looks otherworldly.
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Comments (13)
Here's what I find from perusing recent hort club bulletins as to which plants are allowed at the plant exchanges run by the Calgary Hort club: "Plants on the provincial or City of Calgary's Restricted or Noxious Plants List are not allowed." And from earlier publications: "The following plants have been deemed invasive: They will be accepted at the Exchange but will not have any exchange value... Campanula rapunculoides Campanula glomerata Centaurea montana Goutweed Yarrow Creeping Charlie Perennial morning glory Himalayan impatiens" I'm not certain if the second part is still in effect, but it's still a reasonably good guideline. (Although, personally, I have a bit of trouble with a self-sowing annual, Himalayan impatiens, being on this list.) However, I really think most people have to experience a fair bit of gardening before they can reasonably decide, first, their definition of invasiveness, and then, their tolerance to it. (I mean... when the store the "public" votes as "Calgary's favorite garden center" sells all or most of of the above, how do you tell people otherwise?) By the way, north3, I suspect your non-fruit-bearing "strawberry plant" is probably actually something like rough cinquefoil (Potentilla norvegica)... are the flowers yellow? The basal leaves of this plant resemble strawberry but are much hairier.
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ninamarie
13 years ago
A fairly new selection, 'Blue Hobbit' is supposed to grow between 8" - 12", which might work.
ishareflowers {Lisa}
13 years ago
I grwe blue hobbit this year and it was beautiful. It grew to about 10 inches, bloomed bright blue and lasted quite a long time. I ordered mine from bluestone perennials.

Lisa
totallyconfused
13 years ago
I tried Blue Hobbit this past summer and it rotted out by June. Maybe it couldn't tolerate my clay soil, although it was in one of my most ammended beds. Good luck with it.

Totally Confused
summerstar
Original Author
13 years ago
From your descriptions Sea Holly reminds me of another blue flower I grow. Globe Thistle. I like it, but it's taller and at the back of the border.
I'll have to rethink and post back. Thanks for your help.
aachenelf z5 Mpls
13 years ago
I've had Blue Hobbit for several years now and I like it. It does stay very compact - under 10 inches, but I think you need to have many plants grouped together for it to really make a statement of any kind.

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