Alpine sea holly

Plant family

Umbellifers (Apiaceae)

Also known as

Alpine Eryngo, Queen of the Alps

Season Overview

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Dry

Soil

Light (sandy)

Nutrient requirement

Low

Seeding distance

40 cm

Row spacing

50 cm

Seeding depth

0 cm

Instructions

Description

The alpine man thistle, alpine thistle, or the blue thistle belongs to the family of umbelliferae (Apiaceae). The Alpine thistle occurs naturally exclusively in mountainous areas, in the Alps as well as in the Jura. It grows up to 80 cm tall. The prickly perennial belongs to the thistles, as do all man-stems. It blooms from July-September with ovate to cylindrical, blue flower umbels, with weakly spiny, pinnately lobed bracts & collars. It is grown as an ornamental plant and also used as a medicinal plant to some extent. Popular with bees.

Growing tips

Winter hardy outdoors. Preplant in sand in fall, sow in spring. Cut back in fall. Self-seeds, otherwise divide for propagation. Cold germinator. Good neighbors: rock medlar, forsythia, gladiolus, bluebells, hyacinths, crocuses, carnations, peonies, flame flowers, roses, splendid chartreuse, tender feather grass, bluebunch oats and daffodils/daffodils. Do not plant on the north side of a house or under tall shrubs or trees, as it will not get enough sun there.