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ECHIUM PININANA "BLUE STEEPLE"
Fran IOM
Posts: 2,872
I had a beautiful Echium Pininana in my allotment early this year. It was about 9 foot tall covered in blue flowers and also covered in bees. Sadly with the storm we had early June it was uprooted and not possible to replant. As I wanted to replace it I happened to see one for sale on the website, which arrived the following day, very well packed and in good condition, and 16" in height. Now I think I have done the wrong thing. It is only in a very small pot and not possible to plant out at this time of year so the only thought I have is to replant in large pot and keep indoors till Spring. It is beginning to wilt a bit now so wouldn't like to lose it.
Any advice would be welcome thank you.
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Posts
Replant in a large pot and keep indoors until Spring.
Echium world send out their plants in Spring. More advice here
http://www.echiumworld.co.uk/
Fidgetbones
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. Will follow your advice and study the website.
Hopefully come Spring it will be perfect to plant out.
when I say indoors, I mean a frost free greenhouse, not in the house( too hot)
I have those, they only flower once then self seed and die, so your big one would have died anyway. They are tri here, some people may grow them as biennials. Look for little seedlings, they will pop up everywhere, they don’t like being transplanted so best left where they grow.
As others says, keep it in the cool for now and plant out next Spring. After any frosts.
Last edited: 11 December 2017 10:50:14
Many thanks for your help Lyn. I don't feel so bad now knowing it would have died anyway! Thought it would have died down but regrown in Spring. Always hopeful. Will look out for seedlings in the hope I shall have more than one. Will keep it cool which shouldn't be difficult and plant out in the Spring. Hopefully another lovely display..
It definitely wouldnt have flowered again Fran, that’s what biennials do, grow on in first year, flower next then drop seeds for sowing the following year.
Did you manage to get any seeds from it before it uprooted. You can sow them in the Spring, once you have these plants, you’re never without them.
I’m not going outside, it’s too cold so taken this from the window, see the 4 big plants right in the middle of the photo, they are last year’s seeds, they will bloom next year(this coming year).
Last edited: 11 December 2017 15:24:43
Echiums are biennial - growing in the first year to a certain height (ours to around 4 - 5 foot) and up to 10 or 12 feet and flowering the following year, they then drop some seed and the cycle starts all over again, so if you want them to return don't hoe or weed directly under the adult plant as they don't like being disturbed. They grow far too big to grow in a pot, but if this is your only option at this time of year, then it is better than nothing. Their roots are very shallow, and ours often keel over in a gale, we usually plant twice as many as we want and thin them out once they have grown a few feet tall. They are a huge attraction for bees when in flower.
How kind people are on this forum!
Thanks for getting back again Lyn. I had no idea of the life cycle (still learning) and sadly didn't realise at the time that I could have collected seeds. Not sure if there would have been any early June when the bees were still busy. Lovely to see the photo and don't blame you for not going out. My allotment is covered in snow. Never knew anything about Echium till my son produced it from somewhere and then noticed articles in the papers where people were claiming they had the highest. Was amazed how quickly mine grew. Hopefully I shall have some success with my new one.
This one of mine grew to almost 20ft. It grew up, tilted to the right, curved down then grew up again. It’s directly behind the foxglove. So no chance of keeping in a pot.
Hi "Guernsey Donkey"
Many thanks for responding to my query. If my new plant responds to a few months in a pot, when it is established in the ground I shall look out for seedlings and be careful not to disturb them. I thought the roots must be shallow for it to have been uprooted so easily. Those in the photo look very majestic. Let's hope Spring comes early next year. I did not expect so many people to come back with so much information so I have learned such a lot of helpful ideas.