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Echium pininana

gjautosgjautos Posts: 426
Does anyone grow this? I saw some amazing specimens on holiday in Norfolk in the summer and fancy giving it a go. It's rated as half hardy, I'm in Bucks so we don't get extreme cold. 
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  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,412
    No but one of my neighbours always has a few on the go. Last year he had one up to his roof! (Nottingham). Think the key is to always have a few under cover as insurance in case the frosts wipe them out. Although they can take a few degrees.
  • gjautosgjautos Posts: 426
    On his roof! I guess that was a self seeder? 
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,412
    No it grew as high as his roof!

    They do self seed if you're lucky.
  • gjautosgjautos Posts: 426
    Apologies @Loxley, I misread your comment! They certainly look impressive. 
  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,420
    I've got a seedling growing . I had Wildpretti due to flower this year after nursing them for a couple of years then the frost got them inside the greenhouse. 
  • Fran IOMFran IOM Posts: 2,575



    I had a beautiful one a couple of years ago but it was uprooted in a strong winter wind.
    These have appeared this year where it has self seeded and I have about four or five of them. They are much bigger than this now as the pic was taken some time ago. Hoping they will survive this winter and flower next year as the bees love them. 
  • I have one that’s nearly up to the bedroom windowsills … my garden is in central Norfolk, but I was given the seedling by a friend in Cornwall. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • They grow like weeds here in South Devon. Quite odd to have flower stems which become logs for the woodburner!
    My experience is that the roots are often a bit rubbish (something of a design flaw) so we usually stake them, and that the plants we covered on (mild) frosty nights did worse than the ones we left to get on with it.
  • gjautosgjautos Posts: 426
    Thanks all. @Perki shame the frost got them in a greenhouse😔. I'll give them a go and see what happens. 
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,572
    They grow like weeds here in South Devon. Quite odd to have flower stems which become logs for the woodburner!
    My experience is that the roots are often a bit rubbish (something of a design flaw) so we usually stake them, and that the plants we covered on (mild) frosty nights did worse than the ones we left to get on with it.
    They're native to the Canary Islands, so I guess they're "designed" to grow on the stony mountainsides high up?
    Devon.
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