Photo of Eryngium venustum foliage by Danger Garden

Photo by Danger Garden

Used with permission, all rights reserved

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Eryngium venustum

Also Known As

  • Eryngium umbellifera
  • Mexican Sea Holly
  • Sea Holly

Plant type

perennial

size

  • H: 12"-24"
  • W: 8"-15"

planting zones

  • 6a-10b

More Options

Eryngium venustum plant details

Eryngium venustum is a broadleaf deciduous perennial with green foliage. In summer silver flowers emerge. Attracts bees, birds and butterflies making it an excellent addition to pollinator gardens. Grows well with sun - mostly sun and even moisture - low water. Drought tolerant once established. Does well in average, gritty, rocky and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something heat tolerant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Eryngium venustum

Plant type: perennial
Plant family: apiaceae
Foliage: deciduous green
Mature size: 8 IN - 15 IN - wide, 12 IN - 24 IN - tall
Flowers: silver blooms in summer
Uses: cutting garden, dried-arrangements, serrated leaves, spiky, textural

GROWING CONDITIONS for Eryngium venustum

USDA Zones: 6a - 10b
Sun exposure: sun - mostly sun
Watering frequency: even moisture - low
Resistant to: deer and rabbit, heat
Soil needs: average, gritty, rocky and well-drained

Nursery contributed plant descriptions

This is one mean plant…we hate to handle them. They are spined in two directions and like to hurt us. But they are beautiful…symmetrical whorls of spined foliage, topped by green spined flowers in early summer. Sometimes beauty can be painful. This mean little plant creates an architectural rosette about 12” wide with flower stems to about 2’…evergreen in warmer climates. Full sun, good soil drainage, semi-regular water. Deer and critter resistant (wonder why?).
Fantastic rosettes fishbone skeleton foliage topped by silvery spiny flowers on 40 cm stems venustum is unlike anything else in the genus. ZONE 4
Great prickly rosettes of foliage with 20" stems bearing cone-shaped greenish white flowers skirted by flaring very interesting bracts. These love a drier gravelly soil and good drainage. The flowers dry well and finches go for the seeds. The plant in general is scorned by deer.
Perhaps you need something strange & otherworldly for your low water garden? Well, look no further than this petite Mexican perennial with spacey, spikey leaves & starry silver thistle-like flowers. It is a prickly plant, but attractively so & we don't need all of our plants to be softly pretty, do we? Leaves are very boldly serrated & make a striking pattern even before the flowering stems arise. It's super easy to grow & very tough, needing very little water & surviving in hot, hot sun. It even reseeds a tad, so you'll get a few free plants down the road! To 2' high & a bit more than 1' wide.

Gardening facts about Eryngium venustum plant

How to Grow Eryngium venustum

  • Sun Exposure

    • sun - mostly sun
  • Water Needs

    • even moisture - drought tolerant
  • Soil Needs

    • average
    • well-drained
    • rocky
    • gritty
  • Special Situation

    • heat tolerant

Features

  • Foliage Color

    • green
  • Flower Color

    • silver
  • Wildlife

    • birds
    • bees
    • butterflies
    • deer resistant
    • rabbit resistant
  • Flower Season

    • summer
  • Foliage Season

    • deciduous
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