Look for this above the high tide line on pebbly beaches, dunes, saltmarsh habitats or near the seaside where there are stony places. It flowers quite late but is a most beautiful seaside plant. The leaves are glaucous when the plant is mature but light green at first in Spring. Sea Holly is the County Flower of Liverpool (Merseyside) because there are nice ones on the Wirral coast. The irony of this is that so many people living on the Wirral give their addresses with an CH (Chester) postcode to divorce themselves from the Liverpool association. Botanically Wirral still remains part of the Vice County of Cheshire.

Still, a low growing greyish plant which could give you an serious prickling if you sat on it, is still quite an appropriate choice.

E. maritimum is almost entirely a coastal plant which grows on virtually all stretches of the Irish, English, Welsh and southern Scottish coasts but is uncommon north of Dundee. It does grow further north in the western isles.

Eryngium maritimum Sea Holly Rhosneigr salt marsh, Anglesey, 3rd August 2006 Previous   Next	Eryngium maritimum Sea Holly Rhosneigr salt marsh, Anglesey, 3rd August 2006 Previous   Next
Eryngium maritimum	Eryngium maritimum

Rhosneigr salt marsh, Anglesey, 3rd August 2006

Added on January 25th 2005, updated 10th January 2009