Leaf type: Lobed, dissected, elongated (serrated) with thorny tips
Phyllotaxis: Alternate, the basal leaves are arranged in a rosette
Color: Green to turquoise green with light green or white leaf veins
Life cycle: Perennial and deciduous
Leaf (upper side)
Habitus & biology
The field eryngo grows upright to overhanging, towards the end of summer its flower shoots can lie on the ground. Depending on the habitat, it grows between 20 and 80 centimetres tall.
Distribution & habitates
Field eryngo is native to Africa, Asia and Europe (source). It grows on roadsides, in meadows, on steps, on walls and on embankments. It grows best in sunny locations and copes well with short periods of drought once established.
Botany
Eryngium campestre is a member of the umbellifer family (Apiaceae) and is also known commonly as Watling Street thistle.
