Eryngium bourgatii (Mediterranean Sea Holly)

Garden Design with Mediterranean Sea Holly

Designing a garden with Mediterranean Sea Holly can give your space a distinctive, rugged charm. This plant’s unique structure and striking metallic blue flowers can add a bold aesthetic element. Here are some design ideas:

Rock Gardens: Due to their adaptability to poor, well-drained soils and their low, mounding growth habit, Mediterranean Sea Holly plants fit perfectly into rock gardens. They offer a nice contrast to the round shapes of rocks and can add color and interest to these landscapes.

Coastal Gardens: These plants are salt-tolerant, making them an excellent choice for seaside or coastal gardens. Their distinctive structure can add a dramatic contrast to the typically softer forms of coastal plants.

Mixed Borders: Mediterranean Sea Holly can make a visually striking addition to mixed borders. Plant them towards the front of the border where their intricate detail can be fully appreciated. They pair well with plants that have softer foliage, like ornamental grasses, or those with contrasting flower forms, like coneflowers or daylilies.

Wildlife Gardens: If you’re designing a garden to attract wildlife, consider incorporating Eryngium bourgatii. Their vibrant flowers are attractive to a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies.

Gravel Gardens: Emphasize their Mediterranean heritage by planting them in a gravel garden. The grey-blue of the gravel can reflect the colors in the leaves and flowers of the plant, creating a cohesive and modern look.

Container Gardens: Sea Holly can also be grown in containers, either alone or in combination with trailing plants or those with contrasting textures.

Cutting Gardens: As they produce long-lasting cut flowers, planting a clump in a cutting garden would provide plenty of material for indoor floral arrangements.

Remember to give these plants space to grow and shine, as their spiky silhouette can become lost if overshadowed by taller or denser neighbors.

Companion Plants

Eryngium bourgatii (Mediterranean Sea Holly) is a striking plant that works well with a variety of companion plants that can complement its unique features. Here are some companion plants that pair well with Mediterranean Sea Holly:

Festuca glauca (Blue Fescue): A compact, mound-forming grass with striking silver-blue leaves. It’s drought tolerant, enjoys full sun, and can soften the bold structure of Eryngium bourgatii.

Achillea (Yarrow): These hardy, drought-tolerant perennials bloom in a variety of colors and attract pollinators, making them a great partner for Eryngium in a wildlife-friendly garden.

Sedum (Stonecrop): Low-maintenance plants with fleshy leaves and star-shaped flowers. They thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, making them a perfect match for Eryngium.

Salvia (Sage): With its aromatic leaves and spires of flowers, Salvia adds color and attracts pollinators. It’s also drought tolerant and thrives in well-drained soil.

Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ear): This plant’s soft, fuzzy leaves can provide a textural contrast to Eryngium. It’s also drought-tolerant and prefers well-drained soil.

Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan): These late-summer bloomers offer bright yellow flowers that contrast beautifully with Eryngium’s blueish hue. They also attract beneficial pollinators.

Echinacea (Coneflower): Noted for its large, daisy-like flowers, Echinacea blooms throughout summer and into fall, making it a perfect companion for late-blooming Eryngium.

Helenium (Sneezeweed): With its daisy-like flowers, Helenium adds a splash of color from late summer to fall, complementing the Eryngium’s bloom time.

Alliums: These spring-blooming bulbs offer dramatic, spherical flowers that provide early season interest, while Eryngium is still developing its foliage.

Verbena bonariensis: Its tall, slender stems topped with clusters of small purple flowers contrast with Eryngium’s form and color, both attracting butterflies.

Gaura lindheimeri (Whirling Butterflies): This plant offers delicate, butterfly-like flowers on slender stems, creating a beautiful contrast to the robust structure of Eryngium.