This is a truly stunning plant that will stand out in your garden and catch the eye. A wonderful perennial that comes back year after year with very little care once it's established. Most times it will flower the first year from seed, although more prolific blooms come in later years.
Blue glitter is a type of sea holly. It forms a flat rosette of mid green leaves which die down in winter. In late spring and early summer it sends up one or more tall silver blue stiff stems with tiny prickly blue leaves and small very blue pincushion flowers in the same bright dusky blue that can been see right across the garden. I can see them right across my fields! The flowers and color just last and last. They can be cut and used in floral displays or dried for later use. Cutting flowers often encourages plants to bloom again in the fall. Flower stems can reach up to 40" tall making them an excellent back border choice with a wonderful contrasting color.
Being a sea holly it is very drought tolerant so once established needs little or no water. It prefers fertile soil but will grow quite well in poor soils as well as good ones as long as it has a sunny location. It thrives in hot sunny locations but does not do well in shade. It can also tolerate salt very well so it's great for shore locations or roadsides that see some salt during the winter..
Deer will eat it. Even though the flower stems are thorny the leaves are not.
Perennial - dies down in winter.
Zones 5-9
Location - full sun
Water Little after established very drought tolerant
Height - leaves grow only about 10" flower spikes 26-40"
Width 12-18" flower spikes may spread wider in mature plants.
Salt tolerant - Yes good for shore locations and near roadside that receive some salt in winter.
Color. Leaves area green flowers and stems are intense silver blue.
Deer resistance - some, they don't eat the flowers but will eat the leaves.
Uses: Great back border plant wonderful contrast.
Interesting cut flower
Great dried flower, will keep it's color for years if not in direct sunlight.