A fine genus of plants, grown for their spiky foliage and bracts, silvery blue, silvery green or just plain silver, with teasel-like heads of flowers, the shape and size of an egg, although in the same is a quail?s egg, and in other a duck?s. The plants include the sea hollies, and some spectacular ones with vicious spines. Many are monocarpic, but are easily propagated from seeds, and may seed themselves gently in the garden.

Eryngium maritimum is, as its name suggests, a real sea holly, well adapted to survival on sandy shores. Sadly now rare in Scotland, this striking evergreen species bears tight clusters of steel-blue flowers over a long period, with shiny, spiky, holly-like leaves. A favourite with the insects.