Plant type: perennial.
- Flowering: Begins in summer and ends in autumn. The color of the flowers is silvery blue.
- Care: These plants are easy to care for.
- Lighting: full sun.
- Watering: moderate. The flower is drought tolerant.
- Soil Type: Sandy, well drained. The eryngium can grow well in poor soils.
- Fertilizers: Top dressing should be applied only at planting.
Description: The maritime eryngium is a perennial wild plant that has been found along the European sea coasts, and despite the fact that their natural habitat is widespread, these species are endangered. The flowers of the plant are hermaphrodites, similar to the brambles , so it is capable of self-fertilization. It is pollinated by bees, flies, bugs. The name, according to scientists, comes from the Greek word “errugggarein”, which means “curing indigestion and protecting from the winds” or from “eerungos”, which translates as “goat’s beard”. In the XVII-XVIII centuries, there was an opinion that the candied roots of the flower can be used as a means of enhancing sexual desire. Some species of eryngium have been cultivated as garden flowers. The plant is prized for both its silvery-blue foliage and its silvery or blue cone-shaped flowers. In height, various species reach up to 60 cm.
Photo of a eryngium flower
Reproduction: carried out by dividing the roots in early spring or autumn. If you are growing a flower from seeds, then they should be planted in early autumn as they mature. They are best placed on top of well-drained compost in a greenhouse. Sprouts can appear for a long time – for 19-20 days or very quickly – for 5 days. In the spring, after the last frost, seedlings can be transplanted into the garden.
Planting: These plants have a long tap root, making them difficult to transplant. It is desirable to plant seedlings in a permanent place of its cultivation. When planting eryngiums, the distance between them should be about 30 cm.
Application: today eryngium is used in medicine as a diuretic, expectorant, stimulant and tonic. Both the foliage and the roots of the flower are edible. Carl Linnaeus recommended boiling young flower shoots. The sprouts are sometimes blanched; if grown without sufficient light, they turn pale and are used as food as a substitute for asparagus.
The flower has an extended root system, so it is often used to prevent erosion. Dried leaves and flowers are used for decorative flower decorations.
Alpine eryngium – Eryngium Alpinum
It was first discovered in the alpine pastures of Switzerland. Alpine eryngium, grown in the best conditions for it, has no analogues in beauty. The sheath of the flower stalks is purple, about 60 cm high, and grows in July or August.
Flat-leaved eryngium – Eryngium planum
From mid-spring to early autumn, the flat-leaved eryngium forms rounded umbrellas (1-2 cm long) of light blue flowers with pointed blue-green bracts about 5 cm long. The basal leaves of this evergreen perennial are dark green, serrated and oval in shape. Their length is from 5 to 10 cm.
Field eryngium – Eryngium campestre
The leaves of this species are prickly, dense and hard. Color is white-green. The field erysipelas is known for its pharmaceutical properties. It is used in the treatment of cough, whooping cough and diseases of the urinary system.
