Sea Holly

Description

Location – Greystones  South Beach unstable -2 main specimen , Kilcoole east beach stable- specimen,

Note: 

Wildlife relationships: Bumble bees, Leaf cutter bees, Mining bees

Snails – all coastal snails gather under the sea holly leaves as it protects them for birds. I have found the long snail mating underneath its spiy leaves.

Fungi – Birds nest fungi

Description

Beautiful blue flowered Sea Holly is the only blue flower on our Irish coasts. We have 2 specimens on the South Beach in greystones each around 1 mtr long and 50cm wide but one collapsed this summer due to the public waling all over it and trampling it . We have a large beach but because we don’t protect our coastal flora they are collapsing  simply due to their being no chestnut fencing and education and signage  to represent and protect these species.

All details provided by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eryngium_maritimum

https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0000458597