Topic: Echium Pininana

[wahaj]

Has anyone grown this before? I just bought some seeds...and have hoping to sow some plants nex year. apparently it can grow to 20 feet tall sometimes?

i've just always been facinated by them. Anyone got photos of any they've grown?

[Toadspawn]

I have some plants grown from seed this year. They are in the garden and hopefully they will survive the winter. Tell you next year what it is like if they do survive.
I had three Echium Pink Fountain growing last year. One was killed completely by the frost, one survived but the top was frost damaged and instead of a single flower stem of 8-10' it produced about 30 flowering stems 1-2'. It did look good but I would rather have had a single tall flower as a talking point. The third plant is still alive and looks well but did not flower. The stem has started to elongate but unless I protect it, will almost certainly be killed by frost.
Any suggstions how to protect it? It is growing by a small deciduous hedge, is about 4' tall and has a spread of about 2-3'. 

[Mrs Ava]

Yes.  Mine were HUGE!  I grew them along the back of my greenhouse and they overshadowed it reaching just over 12 foot.  Amazing plants but boy are the leaves vicious!  I tried to save seed, to no avail, and what do you know, I now have echium seedlings all about 2 foot tall all over the garden!  I am leaving the lot in as they are a touch tender so any that pull through - super!  Mine took 3 years to reach their full potential, but they were started in pots in the greenhouse.  I am hoping as these ones have started naturally, they will flower next year.  The bees and buggies love them!  I shall try to find a photo.

Toadspawn, do you have any fleece or net curtains you could use to protect it?  Make a tent around it maybe?