Echiums

Armandii - I am taking you up on your suggestion in the Canna thread and starting an Echium thread, as I think they are real fun plants. I hope others will add.

My experience is very limited. I am currently growing five types - russicum, boissieri, wildpretti, pininana and candicans.


E. russicum, above, is one of the smallest and easiest to grow. Whilst nearly all Echiums are quoted as biennial, russicum is reliably biennial in the UK - whilst bigger ones may take 3 or 4 years to flower (and then die). This is also truly cold hardy, being quoted as taking -20C. However it is susceptible to winter wet that can rot the centre. This doesn't necessarily kill it but often causes multiple new growing points to appear, which leads to multiple spikes, which are smaller. I tend to overwinter them in a cold frame to keep the wet out - but you could just put a polybag over pot left outside.

Like all Echiums, in the first year it grows as a rosette. Then when it starts to flower a spike appears that can grow at the rate or one or two inches a day or more. Interestingly it grows just as much overnight as it does during the day time. The books say russicum grows 2 to 4 feet, but two years ago when it was warmer I had a couple of 5 feet spikes.


E. boissieri, above, is taller than russicum, and I have seen pictures of them at 10, 12 or more feet. I think the flowers are very pretty. This one flowered in its second year, then the main spike died . But I noticed a side growth from the base which I hope will flower next year. Like most Echiums it needs to be kept frost free over winter.


E. pininana, above, is the most impressive of the Echiums. They can grow up to 16 feet tall. Mine was tiny as just 6 feet from soil level - I am hoping to do better next year. This was a third year plant, but I have another inside the house which is about to enter its fourth year. Its already over 6 feet and hasn't produces a flower spike yet.


E. candicans, above, is also known as E. fastuosum. Like the others its not hardy, but it is different in that it is multi branched and is perennial. This is the only picture that I have - though later in the season it was much larger.


But this picture from the net is what candicans should look like.

 

Good thread Peter, you have grown more differing species than me.
I'll see if I can get a few pics up of mine from a few years ago.

 

Excellent Peter ; I currently have 3 E.pinanana overwintering in the shed, I've given them next to no water but they still look nice and green, the leaves are a little wilted compared to how they looked in full growth but I don't want them sitting in wet soil while they're not actively growing so am holding back on the watring.

 

A most inspiring read!
I love the colour of your E.russicum!

 

I've never grown Echiums but here are some pics I took many years ago now at Ventnor Botanic Gardens on the Isle of Wight


some smaller Echiums by carlbullock, on Flickr


view gardens from cliff by carlbullock, on Flickr


IMGP0550 by carlbullock, on Flickr

 

This is a pininana hybrid I grew a few years ago.



As to fastuosum, its very tender, dislikes frost and grows best with free root run, so is difficult.


It flowered but not that well in a pot.
Once planted out it did much better but died due to frost before it could flower.

 

I love them and my landscape gardener friend has them and always wants to give me some ... but I just don't have room to put them.

 

Pete - that's a beautiful pininana. Thanks for the tip on planting out E. candicans. I will try that, as I have several. If your picture is of one plant - it was magnificant.

Vicky - of course you have got room - they only grow upwards. :D

 

I think you are too modest, PeterS. Thanks for a helpful and inspiring thread.



But this picture from the net is what candicans should look like.[/QUOTE]

Do you think that picture has had the blue tones digitally enhanced - it looks unbelievable!

I grew some E wildprettii in large pots and they looked good as architectural plants, if a bit coarse, but the wet polished them off one winter before they flowered. They also need very large pots and even then are likely to be top heavy when they flower.

 

Madahhalia - thanks - they certainly do need large pots, and this makes them more difficult to overwinter, because the pots have such a large footprint.

I agree the colour of that E. candicans is unrealistic. It may be intentional, but on the other hand I have seen many instances of colours coming out completely wrong like blues coming out as dull purple. Most of those cases weren't intentional as they made the plant look worse than it really was.


This is a more realistic picture - though still not quite right - Pete's lovely picture is much closer to the true colour

 

One of the points that may or may not be surprising is that most Echiums really do thrive on good watering and feeding in hot weather.
I find they very quickly start to look sad if under fed or allowed to get dry, but they recover very fast once you step up the watering.
They are good survivers of drought, but they wont look good if grown in that manner.

When ever I have grown pininana in pots I've fed and watered very well for two or three years, I find you need to build up as large and as leafy plant as you can.
Then, if I want it to flower the following spring I start to feed with tomato feed in summer of the previous year, it mostly works.

 

John. I think seed is the preferred method of growing them, in fact I'm not sure cuttings are possible, if so, not easy.

I've always bought from Chilterns.

But for twenty years now pininana has self seeded on my allotment, they come up all over, but never a big problem.