Sea Holly

Sea holly is an indispensable perennial for all lovers of naturally styled gardens. It earned its folk name - male fidelity - in times when it was used in herbal medicine as an aphrodisiac, and its roots were even candied as sweets in France and England. Today, however, you will appreciate it mainly for its low maintenance and unique appearance. Its home is on sunny hillsides and dry meadows, so even in our gardens, it will welcome well-drained, even poorer sandy soil and full sun. It produces upright, sturdy stems topped with blue-purple flowers with prickly bracts, which bring interesting structure and a silvery touch to the flowerbeds. It is literally a magnetic plant for bees, bumblebees, and butterflies, who find a rich food source on it. Floristically, it is extremely valuable, because its flowers are perfectly suited for cutting as well as drying for winter decorations. If you decide not to harvest it, feel free to leave it in the flowerbed all winter. Its silhouette covered in hoarfrost creates a wonderful winter effect. Although it is a short-lived perennial, in a suitable location it reliably self-seeds, so you will enjoy its beauty for many years.

Sea holly Silver Salentino stands out with the silvery metallic color of its flowers and bracts, which looks very modern and novel in flower beds. This perennial will find its use mainly in naturally styled steppe and gravel beds, where it will appreciate full sun and well-drained, even poorer sandy soil. It is an undemanding plant that even beginners can handle; it does not need support and tolerates drought excellently. The flowers are literally a magnet for bees, bumblebees, and butterflies, so you will bring a lot of life to the garden with it. Floristically, sea holly is very valuable because its sturdy stems with striking bracts last a long time in a vase and are also perfectly suited for drying into winter decorations. An interesting historical fact is that the roots of some species used to be eaten candied as sweets in England and France. In folk medicine, it was used as an aphrodisiac, which is where its popular name "male fidelity" comes from.