How to Grow Eryngium Plants in your Garden

Eryngium Growing and Care Guide

Common Names: Eryngo, Sea Holly, Rattlesnake master.
Life Cycle: Hardy perennial. Half hardy perennial.
Height: 12 to 48 inches (30 to 120 cm).
Native: Europe, Asia, Northern America.
Growing Region: Zones 3 to 10.
Flowers: Middle to late summer.
Flower Details: White, blue, greenish. Cone-shaped. Spiky. Tight umbels.
Foliage: Prickly. Yucca-like. Silver, blue. Basel rosette.
Sowing: Surface. Germination time: one week to three months.
Seed: Method 1: Seeds should first be sown into flats in the autumn. Next sink the flat into the ground in an area that offers shade, preferably close to a wall that faces north. Provide a glass/plastic covering. Keep an eye on the flats to ensure that the soil remains moist. Bring the flats indoors at the beginning of spring and keep at 65 to 75°F (18 to 24°C). Transplant seedlings when they are strong.
Seed: Method 2: Mix seeds in a moist growing medium, then put in flats, wrap in a large plastic bag, then stratify by refrigeration for three weeks. Next bury the flat as described above. Once seedlings emerge transplant them to their final location.
Requirements and care: Full sunlight. Good drainage. Poor soil. Soil pH 5.0 to 7.0. Water during prolonged dry spells. Provide support if needed. Winter gravel mulch. Propagate: by taking root cuttings in the spring.
Miscellaneous: Has long taproots. The species Eryngium yuccifolium gets its common name of Rattlesnake master because it was used as a traditional native Indian cure for snake bites in Northern America.