# Field Eryngo (*Eryngium campestre*)

Field Eryngo is a beautiful flower with spiky blue-green leaves and bright blue flowers. It grows in fields and meadows, adding color to the landscape and attracting butterflies.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands
- **Also known as:** Field Sea Holly

![Field Eryngo](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Eryngium_campestre_310705b.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Bernd Haynold, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eryngium_campestre_310705b.jpg)

## Appearance

The Field Eryngo is a stiff, branched plant with distinctive grey-green leaves and stems edged with sharp spines. Its small, roundish flower heads are pale greenish-white to blue-grey, resembling miniature thistles, giving it a tough, spiky appearance.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Apiales
- **Family:** Apiaceae
- **Genus:** Eryngium

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Romans and Greeks used Field Eryngo roots as a delicious vegetable!
- Despite its looks, the roots of Field Eryngo taste sweet, like parsnips!
- Its flower heads dry beautifully, making it a popular choice for everlasting bouquets!
- Some people believe touching its spiky leaves can ward off bad luck!

## Special abilities

- **Spiky Shield:** Field Eryngo has sharp, spiny leaves and stems that protect it from hungry animals, making it tough to chew!
- **Drought Buster:** Its deep taproot allows Field Eryngo to reach underground water, helping it survive long dry spells where other plants wither.
- **Sun Reflector:** The plant's grey-green leaves help reflect strong sunlight, keeping it cooler and saving precious water in hot, sunny places.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-80 cm
- **Spread:** 20-50 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer to early Autumn
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Western Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Its flowers provide nectar for bees.
- **Pollinates:** Drone Fly (*Eristalis tenax*) — Hoverflies visit for pollen and nectar.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Spiky/Thorny](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spiky-thorny): Possessing sharp, pointed projections or spines on the body or surface.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch flowers unless you know they are safe.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Field Eryngo?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Field Eryngo?

30-80 cm

### How wide does Field Eryngo spread?

20-50 cm

### How big are the flowers on Field Eryngo?

1-2 cm

### When does Field Eryngo bloom?

Summer to early Autumn

### Is Field Eryngo edible?

Yes

### Is Field Eryngo toxic?

None

### What is Field Eryngo's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Naturpark Harz/Sachsen-Anhalt (Mansfelder Land)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naturpark-harz-sachsen-anhalt-mansfelder-land) — Sachsen-Anhalt, DE · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Field Eryngo: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-eryngo)