Eryngium planum Blue Glitter seeds - Flat Sea Holly

Eryngium planum or Eryngium armatum, called flat sea holly, is a plant of the Apiaceae family, just like celery and carrot. It is a perennial herbaceous plant. Native to the mountains of central Europe, in the wild, it is found in dry and sunny places, in very well-drained gravelly or sandy soil. With an upright and bushy habit, the 'Blue Glitter' blue thistle quickly reaches about 80 cm in height and 50 cm in spread. Its crown develops a rosette of evergreen basal, petiolate, ovoid leaves with a heart-shaped base, thick, serrated, dark green and shiny. Tall branched, dark blue-grey stems adorned with a few small thornless, spineless leaves, rise from the basal rosettes. Flowering occurs in June-July, at the end of these branches. It takes the form of ovoid inflorescences 2 cm in diameter, composed of a multitude of tiny azure blue flowers, surrounded at the base by thin toothed bracts of the same blue, with metallic reflections. This flowering attracts many pollinating insects. Eryngium planum easily self-sows in light and well-drained soils.

The Wild Blue Thistle does not live very long (especially in fertile and moist soil) but naturally self-sows. In a countryside garden, its colour and design are appreciated alongside tall mulleins with yellow flowers, small annual nigellas with enchanting blue, catmints, and shrubby salvias, but also with cosmos or roses. In a contemporary garden, it looks superb with ornamental grasses. The cut flowers are splendid in dried bouquets. Note that 'Blue Glitter' seeds do not require vernalisation.