Create Your Garden

Eryngium x tripartitum (Tripartite Sea Holly)

Tripartite Sea Holly, Tripartite Eryngo

Eryngium x tripartitum, Tripartite Sea Holly, Tripartite Eryngo, Blue flowers, Blue perennials
Eryngium x tripartitum, Tripartite Sea Holly, Tripartite Eryngo, Blue flowers, Blue perennials
Eryngium x tripartitum, Tripartite Sea Holly, Tripartite Eryngo, Blue flowers, Blue perennials

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

Learn How To Plant, Care, and Grow Spectacular Sea Holly (Eryngium)

Attractive, Sea Holly plants (Eryngium) are striking ornamental perennials grown for their arresting, thistle-like, silvery or blue tinted flower heads adorned with a ruff of showy bracts. Blooming in summer and sometimes into fall, they are exceptionally care-free plants if they are given a well-chosen site. Here are some basic rules that need to be followed to enjoy their splendid flowers.


Read More

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
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
Learn Now
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Eryngium
Guides with
Eryngium
Not sure which Eryngium to pick?
Compare Now

Alternative Plants to Consider

Eryngium leavenworthii, Leavenworth's Eryngo, Eryngo, False Purple Thistle, Purple flowers, Purple perennials
Eryngium alpinum 'Blue Star', Alpine Sea Holly 'Blue Star', Alpine Eryngo 'Blue Star', Blue flowers, Blue perennials
Eryngium Planum 'Blue Cap', Blue Eryngo 'Blue Cap', Flat Sea Holly 'Blue Cap', Eryngium 'Blue Cap', Sea Holly 'Blue Cap', False Sea Holly ' Blue Cap', Eryngium planum 'Blaukappe', Blue flowers, Blue perennials
Eryngium alpinum, Alpine Sea Holly, Alpine Eryngo, Blue flowers, Blue perennials
Eryngium pandanifolium, Giant Sea Holly, Giant Eryngo, Purple flowers, Purple perennials
Eryngium amethystinum, Amethyst Sea Holly, Amethyst Eryngo, Italian Eryngo, Blue flowers, Blue perennials

Recommended Companion Plants

Artemisia Schmidtiana 'Nana', (Wormwood), Dwarf Schmidt Wormwood, Wormwood 'Nana, Silver foliage plant, aromatic foliage plant, Silver Mound Artemisia
Stipa Gigantea, Golden Oats, Giant Feather Grass, Giant Needle Grass
Phlomis Russeliana, Jerusalem Sage, Turkish Sage, Phlomis Samia Boiss, Phlomis Viscosa, Deer resistant perennials, Yellow perennials
Achillea Coronation Gold, Yarrow Coronation Gold, AGM Yarrow, summer flowering perennial, drought tolerant perennial, yellow flowering perennial
Festuca Glauca 'Elijah Blue',Blue Fescue 'Elijah Blue', Festuca Ovina Glauca 'Elijah Blue', Festuca Ovina Glauca 'Elija-blue', Blue Fescue, drought tolerant grass, drought tolerant perennial
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.
Buy Plants

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
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
Learn Now
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Eryngium
Guides with
Eryngium
Not sure which Eryngium to pick?
Compare Now

Gardening Ideas

Plant Calculator

How many Eryngium x tripartitum (Tripartite Sea Holly) do I need for my garden?

Input your garden space dimensions

Your Shopping List

Plant Quantity
Eryngium x tripartitum (Tripartite Sea Holly) N/A Buy Plants

Please Login to Proceed

You Have Reached The Free Limit, Please Subscribe to Proceed

Subscribe to Gardenia

To create additional collections, you must be a paid member of Gardenia
  • Add as many plants as you wish
  • Create and save up to 25 garden collections
Become a Member

Plant Added Successfully

You have Reached Your Limit

To add more plants, you must be a paid member of our site Become a Member

Update Your Credit
Card Information

Cancel

Create a New Collection

Sign Up to Our Newsletter

    You have been subscribed successfully

    Join Gardenia.net

    Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

    Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

    Join now and start creating your dream garden!

    Join Gardenia.net

    Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

    Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

    Join now and start creating your dream garden!

    Find your Hardiness Zone

    Find your Heat Zone

    Find your Climate Zone