Blue Hobbit Sea Holly (Eryngium planum 'Blue Hobbit')
air-ING-ee-um PLAY-num 'Blue Hobbit'

Deciduous Perennial Compact, Clump-Forming in the Apiaceae Family
A compact, dwarf selection of blue sea holly with the same spiky purplish-blue flower heads in a tidy 8-12in package, perfect for the front of a sunny border.

'Blue Hobbit' is a dwarf selection of Eryngium planum, bred for a tidy, compact habit that fits the front of a border or a container far better than the straight species. It keeps the same basal rosette of toothed, dark green leaves and wiry, branched stems topped with small, egg-shaped flower heads of purplish-blue, backed by silvery-blue stems and bracts — just scaled down to about a foot tall and wide.

Like its parent species, it wants lean, dry, well-drained soil in full sun and resents being disturbed once established.

Pros

  • Compact, tidy habit well suited to the front of a border or a container
  • Same long summer bloom and steely-blue color as the full-size species
  • Drought-tolerant and deer-resistant
  • Good cut or dried flower for small arrangements

Cons

  • Taprooted and transplants poorly once established
  • Seed-grown plants won't come true to this compact form
  • Spiny foliage and bracts make handling uncomfortable
  • Sprawls if grown in overly rich or shaded conditions
Highlights This is one of the more compact ways to get classic Eryngium color and texture into a small garden — a scaled-down version of blue sea holly's wiry, silver-blue stems and spiky purplish-blue flower heads in a form that stays well-behaved at the front of a border rather than sprawling through it.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 8 - 12 inches tall. 6 - 12 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Full Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry
Zones 4a - 8b (Usually hardy to -30° F)
Tags Attracts Bees, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Pollinators, Container, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Dry, Dry, Edging, Full Sun, Full Sun, Good for Accents, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Low Maintenance, Non-Allergenic, Perennial, Rabbit Resistant, Showy Flowers, Tolerant of Hot Dry Site, Tolerant of Poor Soil, Tolerant of Sandy Soil, Well-Drained Soil
Bloom Period Summer To Early Fall
Flower Color Purplish-Blue
 

More Info from Experts
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 06/08 - 09/06

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!