Chamaerops humilis var. argentea

Chamaerops humilis var. argentea

Phoenix dactylifera

Phoenix dactylifera

Echium pininana

Tree Echium, Pine Echium, Giant Viper's Bugloss, Tower of Jewels, Blue Steeple,
Size
3L tall pots
Availability: Sold Out
£14.99
Quick Overview
  • Half-hardy biennial
  • Stunning exotic foliage
  • Giant flower spike 4 - 6 metres high
  • Thousands of blue flowers irresistible to bees
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Echium pininana, the Tree Echium is native to the Canary Islands and the largest growing of its genus. It is a magnificent plant with a wide rosette of large silvery-green leaves, bristly to the touch, that grows rapidly and provides a stunning focal-point to the exotic garden. In its second year, it erupts into life and produces an enormous flower spike, typically 3-5 metres high although sometimes even taller. Each flower spike has countless very pretty blue flowers that are irresistible to bees and has them buzzing around madly all day.

Typically a monocarpic biennial, it does sometimes live into a third year before flowering, scattering its thousands of seeds that remain viable for many years. So once you have got it to flower you will have a ready supply of future plants. In the UK it is best described as half-hardy and it is one of those plants that you find yourself either earnestly hoping for a mild winter or wishing that the freezing point of water wasn't just a little lower. To be perfectly frank, it is not the easiest of plants to overwinter, for although it survives well in a favoured maritime position and will take a degree or two or frost and recover well enough, long extended periods of sub-zero temperatures tend to be somewhat terminal.

It can be overwintered in a frost-free place indoors for transplanting in early Spring. It doesn't particularly like being moved and it is best to choose a cloudy day and water it in well.


Additional Information

Order Boraginales
Family Boraginaceae
Sub-Family Boraginoideae
Geographical Origin Canary Islands
Cultivation Full Sun. Keep it watered, will wilt and sulk if neglected. A biennial, the main challenge is getting it through the winter.
Eventual Height 4-5 m
Eventual Spread 1 m
Hardiness Cold tolerant but not fully hardy, it requires skill and not a little luck to get it through the winter in all but favoured southern coastal situations
Echium pininana
Tree Echium, Pine Echium, Giant Viper's Bugloss, Tower of Jewels, Blue Steeple,
Size
3L tall pots
Availability: Sold Out
£14.99
You could receive 20 Palm Points for writing a review for this product.
Add to My Wishlist Add to Compare Email to a Friend
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