Tower of Jewels
Echium wildpretii is a biennial. It grows a big rosette one year, and then it shoots up and flowers the next year. We’ve also seen some of them branch in the 2nd year and have mini-bloom stalks sticking off the side of the main one. Interesting! Anyway, then after blooming, it dies. If you’ve done your job well, providing all the needed bees to pollinate, then you should have seed setting for next year just fine.
These are hardy down into the low 20s, but need a lot of sun, especially here in coastal areas. They are from the Canary Islands, like all good Mediterranean Climate plants that aren’t from California or Greece.
They are deer proof, drought-tolerant and clay-soils tolerant so you know you can grow them yourself. I hope you’ve already planted yours for next year’s bloom spike.
This lovely specimen is in front of Tippet Studios, the animation studio that brought you the animated special effects of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
