Eryngium planum Grumpy® - Flat Sea holly

Graphic and luminous, Eryngium planum 'Grumpy' is a compact and generous sea holly, recognisable by its steel-blue stems and its spiny flowers of an unreal silvery blue. This sun-loving, dry soil perennial finds a place in contemporary gardens, countryside borders and sunny rockeries. It can be grown both in pots and in open ground, and turns into a dried bouquet once faded. However, be careful with the prickly inflorescences of this pretty blue thistle. Avoid planting it near walkways.

Eryngium 'Grumpy' belongs to the Apiaceae family, formerly known as Umbelliferae. The type species, Eryngium planum, bears the common names flat-leaved sea holly or blue thistle. It is a herbaceous perennial naturally occurring in central and eastern Europe as well as central Asia, where it grows in dry meadows, stony ground and very sunny places.

The cultivar 'Grumpy' forms an upright, branched clump, dense and compact in appearance. Its adult height ranges from 50 to 60cm, depending on growing conditions, with a spread of about 40cm. The bluish-green to silvery basal foliage is arranged in a rosette. It consists of leathery, deeply toothed, lobed leaves, 7 to 10 cm long. The rigid stems are steel-blue with silvery highlights, branch towards the top and bear numerous inflorescences. Flowering occurs from July to September in the form of globose to ovoid heads measuring 3 to 5 cm in diameter. Each ornamental head is formed of small lavender-blue to steel-blue flowers, surrounded by narrow, thorny bracts. This flowering attracts many pollinating insects, particularly bees and butterflies. The foliage dries in autumn, but the plant remains interesting even after flowering, because the dried flower stems stay decorative for a long time. It tolerates drought well, grows slowly but reliably, and sometimes self-seeds spontaneously without becoming invasive. What it hates most is moisture, especially winter moisture, which can endanger it.

The slightly prickly, rough or wild appearance of Eryngium 'Grumpy' is actually what gives it charm. From picturesque scenes to the most contemporary ones, its sculptural quality is perfect in many situations. To extend its decorative effect beyond summer, you can easily make dried cut flower arrangements from it, as it retains its lovely hues when drying. In a countryside border, you can associate it with other thistles, burnet 'Red Thunder', Verbascum chaixii 'Album', or even Knautia macedonica. In the background, the soft, golden spikes of Stipa gigantea will provide a luminous and dynamic contrast.