Description The Echium is native to the Mediterranean and west Asia, they are a common site in many Mediterranean gardens. Leaves, which are covered in thin silvery hairs grow very densely up woody branches. The tip of each branch produces a long spike of tiny purple/blue bell-shaped flowers in late spring and summer. These flowers are very attractive to bees as you can imagine.
Care Believe it or not, Echium flower best in poor soils which are kept fairly dry. Give them too much love, fertiliser or water and they tend to produce an abundance of foliage at the expense of flowers. The tiny hairs on the leaves are resistant to salt, so they will grow quite happily by the seaside. Remove faded flower heads after each flush of flowers.
Varieties
'Cobalt Towers'
'Towers of flowers'
* The garden clinic would like to thank Suzanne Hopper and Mike Barnert for their contribution of photographs.
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