Eryngium maritimum

Eryngium maritimum, also called the sea holly, sea eryngo, or sea eryngium, is a perennial species of flowering plant in the carrot family Apiaceae, native to the coasts of most of Europe and the Mediterranean. Its prickly holly-like leaves and compact flower heads give it the appearance of a thistle. Despite its common name, it is not a holly but an umbellifer.