Sea holly stars in a Shakespeare play as well as garden plots

The native Irish plant thrives in sandy free-draining soil and has a special role in our gardens, writes Peter Dowdall 

Sea holly (Eryngium maritimum) growing on coastal sand dunes. File picture

Sea holly (Eryngium maritimum)  is native to Ireland and a once common sight in the wild on sand dunes and other areas of our coast. Unfortunately, it is not as common anymore as it used to be. 

There aren't too many native Irish plants that have made it into a Shakespeare play: “Let the sky rain potatoes; let it thunder to the tune of Greensleeves, hail kissing comfits and snow eringoes, let there come a tempest of provocation" (Falstaff, Act 5, Scene V, The Merry Wives of Windsor, William Shakespeare).