Sea Holly
Eryngium maritimum
Tap image to enlarge · Wikimedia Commons
Overview
Sea Holly is one of the most striking plants on the Sefton Coast — steel blue flowers and silvery-blue spiny leaves that look more like a succulent from a hot country than something growing on a Lancashire beach. It's adapted to the harsh conditions of the fore-dune: drought, salt spray, wind and burial by sand. A member of the carrot family (you can see it if you look at the flower structure closely). Declining nationally due to coastal erosion and human pressure on fore-dunes.
At a Glance
| Order | Apiales |
| Family | Apiaceae |
| Habitat | Fore-dune · Strandline · Mobile sand |
| UK population | Declining — lost from many southern sites due to coastal erosion and trampling |
| Sefton Coast | Present on fore-dunes at Formby and Ainsdale; locally common in good years |
| Conservation | UK Amber List |
Where to See It
Strandline and fore-dune areas at Formby and Ainsdale. Look on the upper beach edge.
Identification
Unmistakeable. Metallic blue-green spiny leaves. Globular blue flower heads. Blue stems. Thistle-like but in the carrot family.
Viewing & Photography Tips
Look near the strandline in July and August. The blue colouring is visible from some distance. Do not pick — it is a declining species.
Conservation Status
UK Amber List
This species is of moderate conservation concern. Population monitoring and habitat management on the Sefton Coast support its continued recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sea Holly related to garden Holly?
No. Sea Holly (Eryngium maritimum) is a member of the carrot family (Apiaceae) and is not related to garden Holly (Ilex aquifolium). The spiny blue-green leaves give a superficial resemblance but the flower structure — a dense, blue, cone-shaped head typical of the carrot family — is very different. The name refers only to the leaf shape.
Related Species
Plan your visit to the Sefton Coast
Marshside RSPB, Formby pinewoods, Ainsdale NNR — practical guides to getting there, what to bring, and the best spots for each season.