Echium, Pride of Madeira

This giant echium will reach 3m tall. Photo - Linda Ross

Description: in full spring bloom, a large Echium will stop passers-by in their tracks. It’s a perennial which produces tall flowering spikes tightly packed with tiny blue-mauve flowers. ‘Cobalt Tower’ is a hybrid of two species, with excellent colour and shape.

Size: in flower it reaches 2.5 – 3m tall x 2m wide.

Cultivation: Echium is frost-hardy, and grows best in full sun in a well-drained soil, but not too rich or too moist. After flowering prune off spent flower spikes to encourage more branches for next season’s flowers.

Special comments: Echium is an excellent plant for coastal and low maintenance gardens and is particularly attractive to bees.

 

Text: Libby Cameron

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