Seaholly, Eryngium alpinum This unusual perennial has spiny, silvery leaves. It started blooming in June and continues to bloom here towards the later half of July. It is a plant beloved by bees. Ideal conditions for growing it would be full sun and well drained soil. It developes thick, deeply growing taproots, so it can withstand quite a bit of drought. And it's a good plant for growing at the seashore, where sandy soil doesn't faze it. It does equally well in ordinary garden soil. New plants can be started from pieces of the thick taproots. If you try this, aim for pieces of root about two inches long and either lay them horizontally in a pot of soil or in a garden bed covered with an inch of soil. Or instead of laying them horizontally, they can be set upright, covered with an inch of soil. A new growing point with leaves will develop at the upper cut end. It could take some months before you will see a new, young plant appear from the piece of root. |
