sea holly
Eryngium undulatum | sea holly
Just like many great groundcovers, this small herb finds its niche where others might falter. Whether it's the salt-laden wind blasting a coastal headland or periodic flooding clearing out competition along a lake's edge, the pricky sea holly seizes these opportunities to thrive. You'll especially notice its resilience in coastal turf communities, where it flourishes in the most exposed positions alongside other unique plants from these increasingly rare ecosystems. While rare in nurseries it can be propogated resposibly from spiny mericarps which are typically are dispersed by attachment and wind.
typical habitat.
coastal scrub
dunes
drainage.
free draining
dry
sun.
full sun
mature specifications.
height | 12cm
width | 30cm
did you know?
Sea holly plants in New Zealand, once thought to be the same species as those in southeastern Australia (Eryngium vesiculosum). Research has now reclassified them based on their physical characteristics which showed that the New Zealand populations are distinct, leading to their description as a new species: Eryngium undulatum.