Sea Holly

Parts Usually Used

Roots, leaves

Description of Plant(s) and Culture

A beautiful, very hardy perennial; the root grows 8-10 feet long set with rings and circles toward the upper part, cut smooth and without joints down lower, brownish on the outside, and very white within, with a pith in the middle, and the plant grows 1 foot tall with broad, spiny, grayish-blue leaves and pale blue flowers surrounded by spiny bracts. The tough, spiky leaves are of a pearly-gray color.

The flowers are blue and mildly scented. blooming at the end of summer. Seeds follow the blooms a month later. The flowers are frequently dried for winter bouquets. Another variety: Also called sea holly (E. alismaefolium), called “Momono Kaiyu” by the Paiutes, the Native Americans steeped the whole plant to treat diarrhea. This is a tiny plant 2 inches high and is rare.

Where Found

Found on sea coasts. A native of Europe.

Medicinal Properties

Antispasmodic, emmenagogue, stomachic

Legends, Myths and Stories

The decocted root, known as Eryngo, not to be confused with (E. aquaticum) which is also called Eryngo, was once a favorite sweetmeat. It is still popular in the Middle East.

Uses

Historically, herbalists utilized the roots and leaves of sea holly for uterine and bladder complaints, glandular deficiencies, and as a general tonic. Decoctions of the root prepared in wine were traditionally administered for conditions associated with the spleen and liver, such as jaundice and dropsy, as well as for ague, swollen lymph glands, snakebites, colic, and pains in the loins.

Practitioners also employed the plant as a diuretic, to assist with the expulsion of stones, and to stimulate suppressed menstruation. Drawing a comparison to other plants with fragrant blue flowers such as lavender and violet, traditional herbal writers classified sea holly as a nervine. Additionally, the roots were considered nutritious and were frequently candied as a confection.

Bibliography

Culpeper’s Complete Herbal & English Physician: Updated With 117 Modern Herbs , by Nicholas Culpeper, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1990, (reprint of 1814) The Magic of Herbs , by David Conway, published by Jonathan Cape, Thirty Bedford Square, London, England. , 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023 The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book) , edited by William H.

Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc. , 1974