1. A plant of the carrot family with spiky blue or purple flowers, native to coastal regions of Europe and the Mediterranean.
Usage: Also called sea holly.; The root was historically candied and eaten as a sweetmeat.

Examples

• The eryngo grows wild along the rocky shores of the Mediterranean coast.
• In medieval times, candied eryngo root was considered a delicacy and an aphrodisiac.
• The distinctive spiky blue flowers of the eryngo make it easy to identify in coastal gardens.
• Eryngo is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate gardens.
• The plant's scientific name is Eryngium maritimum.