Sea holly

What the sea holly means

Sea holly is neither a holly nor a thistle but a member of the carrot family, and some species grow wild on coastal dunes, which gives it its common name. In Elizabethan England the candied roots of Eryngium maritimum, sold as eryngoes, were a sweetmeat with a reputation as an aphrodisiac, and Shakespeare mentions them in The Merry Wives of Windsor. Modern florists often describe sea holly as a symbol of independence, attraction, and resilience, meanings that suit its spiky, silvery look rather than any long tradition.

Flower meanings come mostly from Victorian floriography, and they vary between books, eras, and cultures.

Often sent for

• Just because
• Birthday
• Thank you
• Get well

By colour

• Steel blue Often read as independence and resilience.
• Silver Associated with strength and calm in modern use.
• Green Sometimes read as renewal.