trefle.io · Taken Apr 7, 2019 by sondire (cc-by-sa)
Boraginaceae
Blue echium
Echium plantagineum
Also known as Pride of Madeira, Viper's bugloss, Tower of jewels, Echium maritimum
Native Plants · Pollinator Plant · Blue Flowers · Drought Tolerant · Annual · Mediterranean · Wildflower · Bee Friendly · Cottage Garden · Echium · Border Plant
Blue echium is a striking annual or short-lived perennial that produces vivid violet-blue flower spikes and thrives in full sun with very well-drained, even poor soils. It requires minimal watering once established and is an exceptional pollinator plant, drawing bees and butterflies in large numbers. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong blooming or allow self-seeding for natural garden re-establishment.
Growing conditions
The details behind the basics
- Daily light
- 8 hours
- Watering
- Water sparingly; allow soil to dry out between waterings · Every 10-14 days
- Maintenance
- Low
- Soil
- loam
- Soil pH
- 7–7.5
- Temperature
- -25°F to 85°F
- Cycle
- Perennial
- Propagation
- Seed
Hardiness
USDA 4b-9b
Form & growth
Mature size and habit
- Mature height
- 12 in – 3 ft
- Spread
- 2 ft
- Spacing
- 24 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Root depth
- Medium
- Flowers
- No
- Foliage
- Medium
Ecology & origin
Where it belongs and what it brings
- Native to
- Albania, Algeria, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Brazil South, Bulgaria, California, Canary Is., Cape Provinces, Chile Central, Chile South, Corse, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, East Aegean Is., Egypt
- Attracts
- Bees, Butterflies, Moths
Sources: trefle, usda, aspca
More Echium
Related plants from the same genus
Buy this plant
No nurseries currently list it
No nursery lists Blue echium right now.