Peacock resting on Sea Holly, North Gower, Wales

The peacock butterfly occurs in temperate regions of Europe and Asia, with a range that extends from Britain and Ireland eastwards through Russia to eastern Siberia, the Korean peninsula and Japan. It is absent from northern Scandinavia and southern parts of Spain and Portugal. It also occurs in temperate regions of Turkey and northern Iran, and has been recorded at elevations of up to 2,500 metres. It is sometimes known as the European peacock, to distinguish it from another butterfly, from a completely different family, that occurs in North America.

 

Eryngium maritimum, the sea holly or seaside eryngo, is a species of Eryngium in the plant family Apiaceae and native to most European coastlines. It resembles a plume thistle in that its flower is burr-shaped, but the flowers are metallic blue rather than mauve. Protected from winds this dune plant grows to a height of 20 to 60 cm. Although widespread, it is considered endangered in many areas, such as Germany where its occurrence has been greatly reduced throughout and has become locally extinct in several districts.

 

In Elizabethan times in England, these plants were believed to be a strong aphrodisiac. They are named in a speech by Falstaff:

 

“"Let the sky rain potatoes;

let it thunder to the tune of Green-sleeves,

hail kissing-comfits and snow eringoes [sea-holly],

let there come a tempest of provocation..."”

— Falstaff, Act 5, scene v, "The Merry Wives of Windsor", William Shakespeare

 

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