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Eryngium venustum

 
Eryngium venustum
Eryngium venustum
Eryngium venustum

Family apiaceae
Life cycle perennial (Z6-10)
Flowers white (summer)
Light sun

Narrower, serrated leaves compared to most eryngos on this Mexican species. Already in their seedling year, I was digging the way they looked as youngsters. Several of these got through winter successfully, and found homes in our rock garden. They have a cool look to them (befitting their specific epithet – venustum means handsome), and are spiny to the touch. Flowers (which appeared in the second year) are greenish white, and don't make much of a visual impact, although the tidily arranged domes surrounded by slender steely bracts are quite attractive when you get up close. Needless to say, very prickly!

Eryngium venustum
As seedlings
Eryngium venustum
Evergreen, but not nearly as handsome in its mid-winter bedraggled state

We left this plant behind in our Pennsylvania garden (and wish it well); we don't grow it in Houston.

Seed for this plant is included on my seed trade list

One or more images of this plant are included in my stock photo catalog

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PlantLinks to other web pages about Eryngium venustum


Seed-starting details for this plant

  1. Seed from Jelitto Jan09 purchase. Baggy 35F (8w) - 70F (48%G, 14-23d).
    Also Baggy 70F (24%G, 17-23d)
  2. Seed from '10 garden. Baggy 35F (8w) - 70F (7%G, 11-14d)
  3. Seed from '11 garden. Baggy 35F (8w; 8%G, 6w) - 70F (8%G, 3-13d)
  4. Seed from '12 garden. Baggy 35F (8w) - 70F (15%G, 10-25d). Also baggy 70F (21%G, 13-32d).
  5. Seed from '14 garden, cold-stored. Baggy 70F (15%G, 4-9w)

Cold stratification appeared to help germination in the 2009 trial, but results were reversed in 2013. Since results are so much quicker without the cold period, I think I'll try without from now on.


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