About Erinacea anthyllis Link
Erinacea anthyllis, commonly called blue broom, hedgehog plant, or rushy kidney vetch, is a flowering plant species belonging to the legume family Fabaceae. It is the only species in the genus Erinacea. This plant is native to stony mountainous areas of the western Mediterranean, including the Pyrenees of France and Spain, as well as Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. It grows as a dwarf, spiny, evergreen shrub that forms a dome shape, reaching 30 cm (12 in) in both height and width. It has dense foliage, and produces lilac-colored, pea-like flowers in late spring and early summer. Its Latin specific epithet anthyllis references the plant's similarity to the closely related kidney vetch, Anthyllis vulneraria. Erinacea anthyllis is cultivated as an ornamental plant. It grows best in full sun, in sharply-drained alkaline soil that mimics the limestone conditions of its native habitat. Once established, it is extremely long-lived.
