Eryngium alpinum

Eryngium alpinum foliage in my front border now

The same plant in flower

     I have previously posted about eryngiums here, here, and here. In this post I just wanted to show you what the queen of eryngiums looks like as the foliage first emerges in the spring.  It makes a not unhandsome clump in my opinion.  That clump in the top picture has been in that location for at least 15 years.  The bottom picture is what the plant flowers look like.  I think the flowers of this eryngium put all other eryngiums to shame, except for Blue Jackpot.
     This eryngium is growing out in the open in full sun, with no supplemental water in the summer.  I have found that these eryngiums do not like to be crowded by other plants, and their foliage should not be overshadowed by other plants.  That, along with good drainage is the key to growing them long term.