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Eryngium amethystinum | amethyst sea holly

Regular price
$8.99
Regular price
Sale price
$8.99
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Grown from seed in living soil without the use of pesticides, chemicals, or carbon fuels.

Plants may ship dormant in early spring.

Available FALL 2026. Sign up for the waitlist to be notified when available for purchase.


Amethyst Sea Holly (Eryngium amethystinum) is a compact perennial with spiky blue-violet summer blooms and silver-speckled grey-green waxy leaves. Pollinators adore the unusual flowers throughout the growing season. Dried flowers lend interest to the winter garden and are a boon to the birds.

Happiest in full sun on poor, sandy soils but tolerates a wide range of conditions.

Deer, rabbit, and drought resistant. Salt tolerant.

Zone: 4 to 8(9) 
Family: Apiaceae
Type: herbaceous perennial 
Height: 12 to 24 (possibly 30) in. 
Spread: 12 to 24 in.
Exposure: full sun
Conditions: dry, well-drained, average
Bloom Time: July to August
Native Range: Mediterranean
Common Names: Italian eryngo, amethyst eryngo, amethyst sea holly

Special Characteristics
  • Deer-resistant
  • Drought resistant
  • Salt tolerant
  • Pollinator favorite
  • Winter interest
  • Silver foliage
  • Cut-flower
image credits

Ziegler175,CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Enrico Blasutto,CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A close-up of Eryngium amethystinum, also known as amethyst sea holly, with its thistle-like purple flowers.
An image of Eryngium amethystinum, also known as amethyst sea holly, with its thistle-like purple flowers and silver-green foliage.

Ordering information

Preorders

You may place your order anytime to reserve plants for spring 2026 shipping. If you place multiple orders, we will combine plants into one box (or as many as needed) and any extra shipping charges will be refunded.

We will resume shipping plants as soon as plants are ready and temperatures are appropriate in our location and yours.

We will check in with you a week before shipping to make sure you receive your plants at a time that is convenient for you.

Shipping

Live plants ship in spring and fall only. Plants may ship dormant, depending on variety and season. Shipping costs are most reasonable when bundling like size plants.

  • 4-inch: 1-6 plants ship for $15.00 / 7-13 plants ship for $18.00 / 14-30 plants ship for $40.00
  • 1-gal: 1-2 plants ship for $18.00 / 3-4 plants ship for $25.00 / 5-6 plants ship for $40.00
  • trees & shrubs: $27.00-$40.00 each, height dependent
  • seeds: $6.75 or free with orders over $15.00

We regret that we cannot ship internationally or to the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, or WA.

Read more about our shipping policies here.

Nursery pick up

We will email you to schedule a day and time to collect your plants when they are ready in spring. Generally, plants can be collected from the nursery Monday through Sunday from 10am-4pm in Spring, Summer, and Fall.

Plant Sizes

We most commonly use the following pot sizes for perennials:

  • 4-inch pot: 3.5" H x 3.5" W x 3.5" D
  • 2-quart pot: 6" H x 5.25" W x 5.25" D
  • 1-gallon pot: 6.87" H x 8" Dia (this is a true one gallon pot, not the smaller 'trade' one gallon pot used by many nurseries)

Check out our illustrated pot size guide here.

Representative trees & shrubs are photographed in their pots and posted on each plant page.

Sustainability

Sustainability is at the heart of what we do at The Old Dairy. We grow all of our plants outdoors without the use of chemicals, fertilizers, carbon fuels, or peat.

Many of our perennials are grown in the ground and dug upon order (this is especially true for larger sizes). This practice allows us to grow stronger, healthier plants using native soil, and ultimately reduces our impact on the environment.

Our open-pollinated seeds are collected from plants in our mother beds, which have never been treated with chemicals or sprays of any kind.

Read all about our sustainable practices here.

garden location coming soongarden location coming soon

view this plant in our garden

Eryngium amethystinum | amethyst sea holly |

seedling image

Eryngium amethystinum | amethyst sea holly

We are slowly creating a seedling image library to help make weeding easier.
garden location coming soongarden location coming soon