Sea Holly

I find these plants fascinating - so unique. Photographed these in someone's garden on 27 July 2014. In other locations, I have seen a blue variety, which I always think look like they have been sprayed with a blue dye. Sea Holly was nominated the 2002 County flower for the city of Liverpool, England.

"Eryngium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae. There are about 250 species. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, with the center of diversity in South America. Common names include eryngo and sea holly (though the genus is not related to the true hollies, Ilex).

These are annual and perennial herbs with hairless and usually spiny leaves. The dome-shaped umbels of steely blue or white flowers have whorls of spiny basal bracts. Some species are native to rocky and coastal areas, but the majority are grassland plants."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eryngium