Plant · GBIF taxon 3034393
Blue Eryngo
Eryngium planumAlso known as Flat Sea Holly, Plains Eryngo, Flat-leaved Eryngo
Blue eryngo stands out in sun-drenched steppes and meadows with its striking metallic steel-blue stems and intense violet-blue flowerheads wrapped in sharp spiky bracts. Deep taproots allow this hardy perennial to thrive in dry gravelly soils where few other broadleaf herbs can endure summer drought. Flowering from mid to late summer, the dense conical inflorescences produce copious nectar, drawing a busy assembly of bees, butterflies, and hoverflies.
Drought TolerantAttracts PollinatorsHerbaceous Perennial
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
- Slugs
- Snails
- Voles
ThreatsHabitat loss from agricultural intensification and shrub encroachment
HabitatsDry grasslands, steppes, rocky slopes, road verges, fallow fields
Life spanPerennial (5–10+ years)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyApiaceae
- SpeciesEryngium planum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Best Viewing: Visit from July through August when the upper stems turn bright iridescent blue.
- Pollinator Watching: Observe open flowerheads on warm sunny afternoons to spot wild bees and wasps.
- Garden Placement: Choose a sunny spot with lean, well-drained soil to mimic its natural steppe habitat.
Close Relative (c) Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez (Lmbuga), some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Image unavailableClose Relative Close Relative 
Close Relative (c) Andreas Rockstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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