By Kew
Surrey,
United Kingdom 
Hi, anyone recognise this prickly plant? I think it's a sea holly but I can't find a photo of one that quite matches. It came as a bare root plant I ordered online last year and was supposed to be a cirsium - but doesn't look at all like that now! I planted 6 but only this one survived and so far seems to be thriving- it's about 2 foot high and covered with buds. Any ideas?
4 Jun, 2011
Answers
Thanks. It's a bit of a mystery plant! Maybe it is a cirsium but definitely not the one I ordered ( the beautiful rivulare atropurpureum that was in almost every garden at the chelsea flower show last year). The nearest picture I can find is a cirsium Scariosum. Will be very interesting to see what it looks like if and when it eventually flowers!
4 Jun, 2011
Yes it will, I'll be interested ...
4 Jun, 2011
Looks like Ptilostemon afer to me - a close relative of the Cirsium's, and quite a rarity in cultivation - see pics below:
http://luirig.altervista.org/naturaitaliana/viewpics.php?title=Ptilostemon+afer
Some of the plants in cultivation that are sold as Cirsium japonicum turn out to be this Ptilostemon species, so maybe that's how yours came about too.
4 Jun, 2011
Thanks. Yes that certainly does look right. Can't wait to see it flower now!
5 Jun, 2011
Eryngium amethystinum? But to be honest, I don't think its an Eryngium at all - appears not to have a basal clump of leaves.
4 Jun, 2011