Blue Devil

Images ©:

Blue Devil - Gary Clark | Blue Devil - Colleen Miller | Blue Devil - Elspeth Swan | Blue Devil - Elspeth Swan | Blue Devil - Cathy Powers

Eryngium ovinum


Multi-stemmed plant to 50 cm tall and 50 cm wide, with stiff widely branched stems. The stems grow from a tuft of prickly leaves. Flowerheads are blue and star-like, held on the ends of the stems.


Details
Flora Type
Herbs
Former Scientific Name
E. rostratum
Distinctive Features

Spiky many-stemmed rigid erect plant with spherical bright blue spiny flower heads.

Biology

Perennial. Very hardy and drought-tolerant. Dies back in autumn to a rootstock and reshoots in winter.

Native Status
Native
Flowering Time

Dec-Jan

Taxonomy
Phylum
Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants)
Class
Magnoliopsida (Flowering Plants)
Order
Apiales
Family
Apiaceae
Genus
Eryngium
Species
ovinum

The whole plant becomes blue as the flowers mature.


Interesting Facts
Similar Species

Similar to the ground-hugging Prostrate Blue Devil E. vesciculosum.

Native Status
Native