Discover the Best Types of Eryngium Varieties for a unique display in your garden with its spiky flower heads and beautiful color
Renowned for their spiky, globe-shaped flower heads, these Best Types of Eryngium Varieties encompass a diverse group of perennial plants that add an intriguing touch to any garden with their exceptional appearance! Pick your favorite from the list below!
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Best Types of Eryngium Varieties
1. Sea Eryngo
Botanical Name: Eryngium maritimum
Featuring a robust, spiky structure, the Sea Eryngo thrives along coastal regions, reaching a height of around 1-2 feet. Its foliage is characterized by deep green, leathery leaves that are deeply lobed, with prominent spines along their edges. The plant’s blossoms are small, globe-shaped, and sport a metallic blue hue.
2. Queen of the Alps
Botanical Name: Eryngium alpinum
The Queen of the Alps is an exquisite Sea Holly Variety that commands attention with its regal presence. Boasting a dense, clumping habit with deeply divided, silver-green foliage, its leaves are lance-shaped and adorned with elegant, spiny margins. Atop the sturdy stems, striking globular flower heads emerge, reminiscent of miniature steel-blue crowns.
3. Moroccan Sea Holly
Botanical Name: Eryngium variifolium
This alluring plant originates from the rugged landscapes of Morocco and features lobed, pointy leaves with intricate patterns of silver-white veins that look stunning against the emerald green background. The foliage, tinged with a hint of blue, offers a delightful contrast to the vibrant gray-blue flowers.
4. Violetta
Botanical Name: Eryngium x zabelii ‘Violetta’
This hybrid Eryngium Variety showcases a delightful blend of silver, gray, and blue colors, offering an extraordinary appeal to any garden. The spiny leaves form a dense, clumping habit, contrasting against the vivid violet-purple flower heads that emerge atop sturdy, branched stems.
5. Mediterranean Sea Holly
Botanical Name: Eryngium bourgatii ‘Picos Amethyst’
Standing at the height of around 2-3 feet, the Mediterranean Sea Holly showcases deeply lobed, silver-gray foliage featuring spiny margins. Rising above the foliage, sturdy stems bear striking flower heads resembling intricate amethyst clusters. The flowers exhibit a mesmerizing shade of deep, vibrant purple.
6. Giant Physic Purple
Botanical Name: Eryngium pandanifolium ‘Physic Purple’
This giant Eryngium Variety stands tall, reaching a height of around 6-8 feet, making it a true statement piece in any garden or landscape. Its cone-shaped deep purple flowers are composed of numerous tiny florets that form a spherical head.
7. Agave-leaves Sea Holly

Botanical Name: Eryngium agavifolium
With a distinct physical appearance that mimics the distinctive rosette of Agave plants, this Sea Holly Variety showcases rosettes of thick, succulent-like leaves with sharp, spiny edges. The silver-green leaves with a waxy texture contrast well with the small and globe-shaped white and blue flowers.
8. Jade Frost

Botanical Name: Eryngium planum ‘Jade Frost’
The Jade Frost Eryngium stands out for its striking foliage and delicate color palette. Its vibrant green leaves are mottled with silver-white veins, lending an appearance reminiscent of intricate frost patterns. Complementing the foliage, the flower heads are comprised of small, star-shaped florets that exhibit soft shades of white and pale blue
9. Rattlesnake Master
Botanical Name: Eryngium yuccifolium
Eryngium yuccifolium, or Rattlesnake Master, is an appealing variety that mirrors the American prairies. It displays spiky, yucca-like leaves with a gray-green hue, creating an intriguing textural spectacle. The small flowers attract bees and butterflies, adding an element of life to the garden.
10. Ivory Sea Holly
Botanical Name: Eryngium eburneum
Eryngium eburneum, known as Ivory Sea Holly, exudes a delicate and creamy aura. Its lance-shaped, slightly silvery foliage forms an attractive basal rosette complementing the graceful flowers, creating a charming contrast against the soft green backdrop.
11. Blue Hobbit
Botanical Name: Eryngium planum ‘Blue Hobbit’
Blue Hobbit is a compact and charming variety that enriches any space with its whimsical presence. Its silvery-green leaves create a beautiful setting for its vibrant, electric blue flower heads, even though it only reaches a modest 10-12 inches in height.
12. Big Blue
Botanical Name: Eryngium × zabelii ‘Big Blue’
This robust and tall perennial stands tall at 3-4 feet, becoming an instant focal point. It boasts richly lobed leaves that provide a lush background for its remarkable, cone-shaped flower heads, ranging from silvery to deep blue.
13. Oliver Sea Holly
Botanical Name: Eryngium x oliverianum
Oliver Sea Holly displays elongated, silvery-grey leaves with a velvety texture, forming an elegant basal rosette. The small flowers, clustered into spherical heads, shift from pale green to a creamy white hue, presenting an appealing visual contrast.
14. Tripartite Sea Holly
Botanical Name: Eryngium × tripartitum
This fascinating Eryngium Variety captivates with its distinctive tripartite flower heads. Each cone-shaped flower, a blend of pale blue and violet, is surrounded by three spiky bracts set against lobed leaves that lend depth and vibrancy to the garden.
15. Silver Ghost
Botanical Name: Eryngium giganteum ‘Silver Ghost’
Silver Ghost is characterized by its robust and sturdy stems that are adorned with intricately lobed, spiky leaves. The foliage forms a dense clump, providing a lush and dramatic backdrop to the cone-shaped blooms. These flowers are composed of numerous small florets in a metallic shade of silvery-white.
16. ‘Pen Blue’
Botanical Name: Eryngium planum ‘Pen Blue’
Pen Blue Holly presents a rich, deep blue floral display, adhering to its color. Its unique, tightly clustered flower heads provide an eye-catching contrast against the backdrop of its silvery green foliage, creating an almost magical scene in any garden setting.
17. Miss Willmott’s Ghost
Botanical Name: Eryngium giganteum ‘Miss Wilmott’s Ghost’
Miss Willmott’s Ghost makes its way to one of the Best Eryngium Varieties with its silvery-white flower heads that seem to glow eerily against the surrounding greenery. This spectral charm is elevated by its spiky foliage, offering a dramatic and unique aesthetic to any garden.
18. Sapphire Blue

Botanical Name: Eryngium ‘Sapphire Blue’
This Eryngium Variety impresses with its sapphire-blue flowers, a stunning hue that stands out. Its robust foliage and uniquely shaped flower heads offer an interesting textural contrast, adding to its visual allure in any landscape.
19. Neptunes Gold
Botanical Name: Eryngium x zabellii ‘Neptune’s Gold’
Neptunes Gold captures attention with its bold foliage color transition from fresh lime green to vibrant gold as the season progresses. This striking color change, paired with electric blue flowers, creates a captivating display of contrasts and color.
20. Jos Eijking
Botanical Name: Eryngium planum ‘Jos Eijking’
Jos Eijking appeals with its compact, bushy stature and striking floral display. The violet-blue flowers beautifully complement the silvery-blue leaves, creating an overall visual experience that’s both soothing and engaging.