Eryngium x tripartitum (Tripartite Sea Holly)
Tripartite Sea Holly, Tripartite Eryngo
Eryngium x tripartitum (Tripartite Sea Holly) is an upright perennial with a basal rosette of coarsely toothed, gray-green leaves. From mid-summer to early fall, wiry, violet-blue branching stems bear cone-shaped, thistle-like, metallic-blue flower heads. Each flower head is surrounded by a ruff of slender, spiny, dark blue bracts. Attractive to bees and butterflies but deer resistant, this striking Sea Holly is good for cutting as well as the border.
- Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
- Grows in clumps of stiffly erect, branched stems up to 3-4 ft. tall (90-120 cm) and 20 in. wide (50 cm)
- Performs best in full sun in fairly dry, poor to moderately fertile well-drained soils. Tolerates light shade, poor soils, drought and salt.
- Excellent choice for gravel gardens, cottage gardens and coastal gardens. May be planted as a single specimen or in groupings. Perfect for cut or dried flower arrangements too!
- Although you can cut back flower stems after flowering the seedheads are a very attractive feature so are usually left over winter
- Watch for leaf and bud eelworms, powdery mildew and root rot.
- Propagate by root cuttings in late winter
Requirements
| Hardiness |
5 - 8 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones |
5 - 8 |
| Plant Type | Perennials |
| Plant Family | Apiaceae |
| Genus | Eryngium |
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest |
Summer (Mid, Late) Fall |
| Height |
3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm) |
| Spread |
1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm) |
| Spacing | 20" (50cm) |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Dried Arrangements, Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy |
| Tolerance | Drought, Deer, Salt, Dry Soil |
| Attracts | Bees, Birds, Butterflies |
| Garden Uses | Beds And Borders |
| Garden Styles | Coastal Garden, Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage, Mediterranean Garden, Prairie and Meadow |
Alternative Plants to Consider
Recommended Companion Plants
Find In One of Our Guides or Gardens
Martin Ogden and www.teddingtongardener.com
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
Requirements
| Hardiness |
5 - 8 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones |
5 - 8 |
| Plant Type | Perennials |
| Plant Family | Apiaceae |
| Genus | Eryngium |
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest |
Summer (Mid, Late) Fall |
| Height |
3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm) |
| Spread |
1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm) |
| Spacing | 20" (50cm) |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Dried Arrangements, Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy |
| Tolerance | Drought, Deer, Salt, Dry Soil |
| Attracts | Bees, Birds, Butterflies |
| Garden Uses | Beds And Borders |
| Garden Styles | Coastal Garden, Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage, Mediterranean Garden, Prairie and Meadow |
