No Idea What This Is

zigs

Cactus Grower, Kent.
Moderator
Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Messages
9,624
Reaction score
11,384
Location
Kent
Hardiness Zone
9a
Country
United Kingdom
But its huge :eek:
DSCN1248.JPG
 

zigs

Cactus Grower, Kent.
Moderator
Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Messages
9,624
Reaction score
11,384
Location
Kent
Hardiness Zone
9a
Country
United Kingdom
Just had an id from the other side of the pond :)

Echium pinniana, grows to 10 foot in the West Country :)
 
Joined
Mar 24, 2015
Messages
606
Reaction score
941
Location
Close to The Garden of England
Hardiness Zone
8b
The slightly smaller version of it, Echium candicans, is the national flower of Madeira and known as Pride of Madeira. :)

Some of their 'slightly smaller' ones grow up to 7ft high!
 
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
4,180
Reaction score
2,714
Hardiness Zone
9a
Country
United Kingdom
For a second I thought that was a really small lamp post... crikey, that's enormous!!
 

zigs

Cactus Grower, Kent.
Moderator
Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Messages
9,624
Reaction score
11,384
Location
Kent
Hardiness Zone
9a
Country
United Kingdom
Yep, that's a full size lamp post
 
Joined
Apr 19, 2015
Messages
2,057
Reaction score
2,002
Location
Emerald Victoria
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
10a
Country
Australia
Echidna are very impressive. I have a big one but not that big. I love it when it's flowering with its huge purple spears, then they turn green and still look great. I cut mine back after googling instructions and luckily there is new growth. I was scared it might not survive. They can get leggy when left. Of course echidna are cute but I meant echiums.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Sep 29, 2012
Messages
3,404
Reaction score
1,120
Location
Louisiana
Hardiness Zone
9b
Country
United States
Odd and yet interesting looking plant. It never ceases to amaze me how vast and varied the plant world is. Must really be something to see it in person; it really is enormous!
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2021
Messages
4,224
Reaction score
1,485
Location
California
Country
United States
Tower of Jewels (Echium pininana) is a wonderful plant, native to La Palma, in the Canary Islands. it is one of a number of species of woody giant Viper-buglosses (Echium) native to Macaronesia, a collective term for the archipelagos of the Azores, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Madeira, and the Savage Islands. On these islands a number of short-lived woody shrubs and biennial species have evolved, with flowers in various shades of blue, purple, red, pink, and white. Other species I have grown and personally recommend include Echium candicans, Echium thyrsiflorum (formerly E. gentianoides), Echium webbii, and Echium wildpretii.
Though Echium pininana is considered perennial, in my experience it does not always survive its spectacular, perhaps over-exuberant, floral display. Also, the flowers of all Echium are beloved of bees.
For those in colder climates I should also recommend the smaller but quite attractive annual and perennial species of Echium, native to Europe, northern Africa, Arabia, and southwestern & central Asia, such as Echium amoenum, E.plantagineum, and E. vulgare, as well as the intriguing red-flowered member of a monotypic genus: Pontechium maculatum, formerly known as Echium russicum.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Similar Threads


Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
26,591
Messages
256,667
Members
13,265
Latest member
hyujos

Latest Threads

Top